When storing data, conventional techniques are increasingly reaching their limits. So-called single molecule magnets could provide a remedy. Research teams from Kaiserslautern and Karlsruhe are investigating their storage properties. The focus lies on metals within molecules, which are responsible for the magnetic characteristics and thus for storage properties. Using a novel method, the teams have now succeeded for the first time in examining these materials in greater detail. Similar to slow motion, details can now be analysed in a complementary way in order to find out more about their storage capacity. The study was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.