Born in 1942, Professor at Pierre et Marie Curie University (UPMC) since 1988, Michel Verdaguer retired at 60. He is Emeritus Professor since 2002.

In this university, he created and led a team devoted to molecular magnetism and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (1988-2004). He headed two laboratories associated to the CNRS, Chimie des Métaux de Transition (CMT, UPMC) (1994-1997) and Chimie Inorganique et Matériaux Moléculaires (CIM2, UPMC-ESPCI) (1997-2001). Michel was, for years, coordinator of the 1^st Cycle Chemistry Department of Medical Studies and then, of the inter-universities DEA (now master) of “Inorganic Chemistry, from Molecules to Materials”.

Coming from an immigrated family of Catalan, Spanish and modest origin, Michel is married to Jacqueline Suard. They have three children, Pierre, Laura, Marion and five grand-children, Cécile, Mathis, Robin, Sacha, Anouk.

Link to Michel Verdaguer’s CV

Research interests

Current Activities

Some recent years’ publications

• J.-C. Boulliard, P. Reinhardt, M. Verdaguer, C. Paletta, La quête des éléments, du mythe à la classification de Mendeleiev, Sorbonne Université Presses , 2021
• M. Verdaguer, A. Gleizes, Magnetism: Molecules to Build Solids European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2020, 9, 723-731, https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.201901274
• L. de Viguerie, N. Oriols Pladevall, H. Lotz, V. Freni, N. Fauquet, M. Mestre, Ph.Walter, M.Verdaguer, Mapping pigments and binders in 15th century Gothic works of art using a combination of visible and near infrared hyperspectral imaging, Microchemical Journal, 2020, 155, 104674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2020.104674
• M. Verdaguer, Structure and Magnetism of Prussian blues and analogues, an historical perspective, Chapter 2 in: “Prussian blue analogues nanoparticles and nanocomposites Synthesis, devices and applications“, Y. Guari and J. Larionova Eds, Jenny Stanford Publishing, 2019, 27-67, ISBN 9789814800051
• M. Verdaguer, Miguel Julve, a creative chemist and scholar, a personal account, Polyhedron, 2019, 170,109-114,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.05.033
• Castro, M.-L. Calatayud, C. Yuste, M. Castellano, R. Ruiz-García, J. Cano, J. Faus, M. Verdaguer, F. Lloret, Dinuclear copper(II) complexes as testing ground for molecular magnetism theory, Polyhedron, 2019, 169, 66-67, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.04.023
• J.-P. Launay, M. Verdaguer, Electrons in Molecules: from Basic Principles to Molecular Electronics, Oxford University Press. Revised paperback edition 2018. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814597.001.0001215-222, DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201700985

Selected results and publications

[1]     S. Ferlay, T. Mallah, R. Ouahès, P. Veillet, M. Verdaguer, A Room-Temperature organometallic magnet based on Prussian Blue, Nature, 1995, 378, (6558), 701-703. https://www.nature.com/articles/378701a0

[2]     M. Verdaguer, A. Bleuzen, V. Marvaud, J. Vaissermann, M. Seuleiman, C. Desplanches, A. Scuiller, C. Train, R. Garde, G. Gelly, C. Lomenech, I. Rosenman, P. Veillet, C. Cartier dit Moulin, F. Villain

Molecules to build solids: High T_C Molecule-based magnets by design and recent revival of cyano complexes chemistry, Coord. Chem. Reviews, 1999, 190, 1023-1047. doi.org/10.1016/S0010-8545(99)00156-3

[3]     T. Mallah, S. Thiebaut, M. Verdaguer, P. Veillet

High T_C Molecular-based magnets: Ferrimagnetic mixed-valence chromium(III)-chromium(II) cyanides with T_C = 240 and 190K. Science, 1993, 262, 1554-1557.https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.262.5139.1554

[4]     O. Kahn, Y. Pei, M. Verdaguer, J.P. Renard, J. Sletten, Magnetic ordering of a Mn(II)Cu(II) bimetallic chain ; design of a molecular ferromagnet, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1988, 110, 782-789. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00211a017

[5]     C. Train, R. Gheorghe, V. Krstic, L.-M. Chamoreau, N. S. Ovanessyan, G.L.J.A. Rikken, M. Gruselle, M. Verdaguer, Enantiopure Chiral Ferromagnets for the Observation of Strong Magnetochiral Dichroism, Nature Materials, 2008, 7, 729-734, doi.org/10.1038/nmat2256

[6]     J.-P.Renard, M. Verdaguer, L.P. Regnault, W.A.C. Erkelens, J. Rossat-Mignod, W.G. Stirling
Presumption for a quantum energy gap in the quasi one-dimensional S = 1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet Ni(C₂H₈N₂)NO₂(ClO₄), Europhys. Letters 1987, 3, 945-951. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-8545(99)0015

[7]     A. Bleuzen, C. Lomenech, V. Escax, F. Villain, F. Varret, C. Cartier dit Moulin, M. Verdaguer, Photo-induced Ferrimagnetic Systems in Prussian Blue Analogues C^IxCo₄[Fe(CN)₆]_y (C^I = alkali cation). Part I. Conditions to Observe the Phenomenon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 6648-6652. doi.org/10.1021/ja000348u

[8]     V. Gadet, T. Mallah, I. Castro, M. Verdaguer, P. Veillet, High T_C Molecular-based ferromagnets: CsNiCr(CN)₆ a ferromagnetic system with T_C = 90K, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 9213-9214. doi.org/10.1021/ja00049a078

[9]     R. Lescouëzec, J. Vaissermann, C. Ruiz-Pérez, F. Lloret, R. Carrasco, M. Juive, M. Verdaguer, Y. Dromzee, D. Gatteschi and W. Wersdorfer, Cyanide-Bridged Iron(III)-Cobalt(II) Double Zigzag Ferromagnetic Chains: Two New Molecular Magnetic Nanowires,  Angew. Chem. 2003, 42, 1483-1486. doi.org/10.1002/anie.200250243

[10]   M. Julve, M. Verdaguer, O, Kahn, A, Gleizes, M. Philoche-Levisalles, Design of µ-oxalato Copper(II) binuclear complexes exhibiting expected magnetic properties, Inorg. Chem. 1984, 23, 3808-3818. doi.org/10.1021/ic00191a028

[11]   M. Verdaguer, Molecular electronics emerges in molecular magnetism, Science 1996, 272, 698-699. doi: 10.1126/science.272.5262.698 [12]     J.M. Herrera, V. Marvaud, M. Verdaguer, J. Marrot, M. Kalisz, C. Mathonière, Reversible photo-induced magnetic properties in the heptanuclear complex [Mo(IV)(CN)₂(CN-Cu-L)₆]⁸⁺ : a photomagnetic high-spin molecule. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2004, 43, 5468-5471. doi.org/10.1002/anie.200460387

[13]   R. Lescouëzec, L. M. Toma, J. Vaissermann, M. Verdaguer, F.S. Delgado, C. Ruiz-Pérez, F. Lloret, M. Julve, Design of single chain magnets through cyanide-bearing six-coordinate complexes, Coord. Chem. Reviews, 2005, 249, 2691-2729. doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2005.09.017

[14] J.-P. Renard, M. Verdaguer, L.-P. Regnault, W.A.C . Erkelens, J. Rossat-Mignod, J. Ribas, W.G. Stirling, C. Vettier, Quantum energy gap in two quasi-one-dimensional S=1 Heisenberg antiferromagnets, Journal of Applied Physics, 1988,63, 3538-3542, doi.org/10.1063/1.340736

[15] E. Pardo, C. Train, G. Gontard, K. Boubekeur, O. Fabelo, H Liu, B. Dkhil, F. Lloret, K. Nakagawa, H. Tokoro, S.-i. Ohkoshi, High proton conduction in a chiral ferromagnetic metal–organic quartzlike framework Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011, 133, 15328-15331, doi.org/10.1021/ja206917z

[16] C. Train, M. Gruselle, M. Verdaguer, The fruitful introduction of chirality and control of absolute configurations in molecular magnets,  Chemical Society Reviews 2011, 40 (6), 3297-3312

Each reference was gathering more than 300 citations in 2023

[17]   A. Gleizes, M. Verdaguer, Ordered magnetic bimetallic chains: a novel class of one-dimensional compounds, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1981, 103, 7373-7374 DOI: 10.1021/ja00414a074 (see above the 2020 EurJIC review, with A.Gleizes)

Last, a friendly tribute to an old scientist.

Scientific trajectory