Electron spin is a fundamental property of Nature. Electron exchange, spin-orbit interactions, and notions of conservation of angular momentum manifest in a variety of ground- and excited-state properties and have consequences for the field of spintronics and in electronic materials research just to name a few. Although many of the more common physical observables linked to spin are well documented, our understanding of how spin effects permeate the chemistry of molecular systems is still in its infancy. Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between the physical and/or photophysical properties of molecules and their innate spin properties, and if so, to what extent we can exploit this connection in order to manipulate the chemical reactivity of molecular systems? It is precisely these questions that must be adressed if we are to harness these interactions to construct new molecular and molecule-based systems and devices.

This notion, namely the effect of spin and spin polarization on the physicochemical properties of molecules, constitutes the conceptual underpinning of the proposed workshop. This TSRC will bring together leading researchers in the fields of molecular magnetism, photophysics, and theory in order to explore important aspects of electron spin, spin-orbit and magnetic exchange effects as they pertain to intramolecular electron transfer, excited state dynamics, and potential device applications.