Controlling spin-$\frac 12$ antiferromagnetic interaction strength in nanographene dimers

Abstract

We demonstrate that the effective spin-exchange coupling $J$ in open-shell nanographene dimers can be precisely tuned via tip-induced dehydrogenation of selected carbon atoms. Using the double ionization potential equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles (DIP-EOM-CCSD) method, we accurately compute the singlet-triplet gaps, which correspond directly to the exchange coupling $J$. We show that the position of the dehydrogenated (or hydrogen-passivated) site in triangulene dimers strongly modulates the singlet-triplet splitting, allowing $J$ to be tuned over a wide range - from a few meV to several tens of meV. This strategy provides a simple yet powerful route for designing tailored spin models with alternating or spatially patterned spin-exchange couplings.