Communication: A dramatic transition from nonferromagnet to ferromagnet in finite fused-azulene chain

Abstract

One-dimensional fused-azulene oligomers (n = 2 - 6) are studied with the effective valence bond as well as density functional theory methods. A nonferromagnetic (closed-shell singlet) to ferromagnetic (triplet) ground state transformation is witnessed with increasing length of oligomers. The computational results are interpreted in terms of spin coupling between the unpaired electrons of two nonbonding molecular orbitals localized, respectively, on the top and bottom chains of the oligomers. The present study provides a theoretical suggestion for understanding the ferromagnetic spin polarizations that has been observed very recently in graphene nanoribbons. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.