Controlling Magnetism by Twisting Organic Molecules

Magnetoelectric materials allow for magnetism to be controlled by an applied electric field. They are attracting much interest as they offer routes to low power magnetic-based computing, data storage and sensing. However, most known magnetoelectrics are based on rigid inorganic crystals, which limits their use in flexible or lightweight devices, and makes it difficult to tune their behavior chemically.In this work, we showed that the same functionality can be achieved using purely organic molecules that twist under applied electric fields. Using theory‑driven design, we revealed how this controlled twisting can reshape chemical interactions that tune the magnetic coupling between spin‑polarised molecular units. From these insights, we established molecular design rules linking field‑induced torsion to predictable magnetic responses.We also demonstrated how these responsive units can assemble into 2D organic materials while preserving their field‑tunable behavior, allowing the molecular twists to act cooperatively. Because the underlying components are organic, lightweight, flexible, and synthetically adaptable, our approach points toward customizable, low‑power magnetoelectric materials suitable for future device applications.