Citation: Ruixin Guo, Jieming Sheng, Bowen Li, Kaizhen Guo, Wenjiao Yao, Nan Zhao, Jianqiao Wang, Zhibin Qiu, Bo Wen, Shuang Jia, Xiaoyang Wang, Ping Wu, Feng Yang, Liusuo Wu, Qiushi Yao, Shu Guo. Towards equilateral triangular lattice frustrated quantum magnets through crystal symmetry–protected molecular-brick chemical strategy[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(8): 112623. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112623 shu

Towards equilateral triangular lattice frustrated quantum magnets through crystal symmetry–protected molecular-brick chemical strategy

Ruixin Guo ^{a, b, c} ,
Jieming Sheng ^e ,
Bowen Li ^a ,
Kaizhen Guo ^{f, g} ,
Wenjiao Yao ^h ,
Nan Zhao ^a ,
Jianqiao Wang ^{a, c} ,
Zhibin Qiu ^{a, c} ,
Bo Wen ⁱ ,
Shuang Jia ^{f, g} ,
Xiaoyang Wang ^b ,
Ping Wu ^{a, c} ,
Feng Yang ^a ,
Liusuo Wu ^a ,
Qiushi Yao ^{d, *,} ,
Shu Guo ^{a, c, *,}

a.
Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
b.
Beijing Center for Crystal Research and Development, Key Laboratory of Functional Crystals and Laser Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
c.
International Quantum Academy, Shenzhen 518048, China
d.
College of Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
e.
School of Physical Sciences, Great Bay University and Great Bay Institute for Advanced Study, Dongguan 523000, China
f.
International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 China
g.
Interdisciplinary Institute of Light-Element Quantum Materials and Research Center for Light-Element Advanced Materials, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
h.
Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
i.
School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China

yaoqiushi@nuaa.edu.cn

guos@sustech.edu.cn

Received Date: 7 February 2026
Revised Date: 10 March 2026
Accepted Date: 12 March 2026
Available Online: 15 March 2026

Figures(4)

Equilateral triangular lattices (TLs) with antiferromagnetic interactions are ideal templates for inducing magnetic frustration, offering a platform to explore exotic quantum spin states that are crucial for advancing quantum science and technology. However, few examples meet these structural criteria, and even fewer realize these fascinating physical properties. We report four novel equilateral TL magnets realized through a crystal-symmetry-protected molecular-brick strategy. By deliberately selecting a high-symmetry nonmagnetic structural template and incorporating magnetic molecular building blocks, magnetic ions are geometrically constrained by three-fold rotational symmetry within the a-b plane, enforcing an ideal equilateral TL and turning on magnetism in a nonmagnetic structural template. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements reveal a long-range magnetic ordering in BaCoBe₂(BO₃)₂F₂ around 180 mK, while BaNiBe₂(BO₃)₂F₂ remains disordered at 140 mK. Furthermore, crystal orbital Hamilton population analysis shows that different molecular bricks exhibit distinct bonding characteristics, resulting in diverse magnetic properties. Our results demonstrate that the molecular-brick chemical strategy offers valuable insights into the investigation of geometrically frustrated magnets.
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