Clarkson University Assistant Professor Mario Wriedt was recently invited to present his research at the Gordon Research Conference on Crystal Engineering in Stowe, Vt.

The Gordon Research Conference series is “one of the most prestigious series in the science fields,” and only selected speakers are invited to present their work, according to a press release from Clarkson.

Data storage density continues to increase as new technology aims to store more data in smaller spaces, but this increase won't continue indefinitely, the release said.

Wriedt’s research focuses on how to develop a nanostructuration approach to use metal-organic frameworks to arrange and protect single-molecule magnets for ultra-high density data storage, the release said.

Magnetic domains in traditional hard drives are limited by how small they can be before they lose their magnetic properties and collapse, making it impossible for computers to read and write data on them.

Single-molecule magnets, however, behave like traditional magnets and can be as tiny as a molecule.

A metal-organic framework is needed to arrange and protect these magnets -- which can be as small as 1.5 nanometers -- in a controlled nanostructure, according to Wriedt.

The Gordon Research Conference focused on the vital role that a variety of crystalline materials play in a broad range of technologies and the ability to control crystallization using principles of crystal engineering.

Wriedt said metal-organic frameworks are used to design everything from molecular building blocks to crystalline structures.

"It was really quite an honor to be invited to this conference," Wriedt said. "The data storage project incorporates single-molecule magnets into frameworks and how those composite materials might advance data storage technologies."