A U.S. Department of Energy grant will fund University of Maine researchers as they explore an alternative to shrinking electronics. Led by assistant professor Tomas Marangoni, the team is building materials from metal atoms connected by a novel class of molecules hypothesized to strengthen electronic interactions. “The main goal is basically to get away from the concept of miniaturization,” says Marangoni, “and to try to create material with new types of electronic and magnetic properties.” This research focuses on fundamental discoveries that could lead to future microchip technology.

Radicaloid Molecules Enhance Metal Atom Interactions

The UMaine team’s approach centers on radicaloids, a newly investigated class of molecules hypothesized to dramatically improve how metal atoms interact within materials. Unlike many current materials where connecting molecules minimally influence electronic and magnetic behavior, these radicaloids are designed to strengthen those interactions, encouraging more effective collaboration between components. Researchers theorize that this enhanced connectivity will allow for the creation of materials exhibiting entirely new properties, moving beyond the limitations of simply shrinking existing designs.

The project also investigates manipulating these materials by adding or removing electrons, a process intended to provide greater control over their electronic characteristics. Engineers require materials with predictable and adjustable behavior, and the ability to fine-tune a material after its construction offers increased design flexibility for future technologies. This focus on post-fabrication adjustment distinguishes the work from conventional materials science, which often prioritizes inherent material properties.

Yi Liu, an expert in framework materials at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular Foundry in California, will collaborate with the UMaine team to explore these possibilities. Tomas Marangoni clarified that the research has long-term implications for electronics, but the immediate focus is different. “It’s not a project that is interested in making microchips tomorrow,” he said.

Like, in the future, how we can get away from that technology and create the next electronic revolution.” The Department of Energy grant supporting the work reflects this emphasis on fundamental discovery rather than immediate commercialization, signaling federal investment in a departure from traditional miniaturization strategies. The team, comprised of researchers from chemistry, physics, engineering and nanotechnology, aims to establish a foundation for materials science beyond the limits of current scaling techniques.