ABSTRACT
Magnetic materials constitute an essential part of modern technology. ™ese materials are mostly based on the elements belonging to either the d-or the f-block of the periodic table. Among the periodic table elements only Fe, Co, and Ni exhibit spontaneous ferromagnetism at room temperature, that is, in the absence of an external magnetic šeld. ™e magnetic properties of these transition metal elements originate from the partially šlled d-electron bands. Spontaneous magnetism is not common for the p-block elements belonging to the second period of the periodic table, despite the fact that carbon is able to form an extraordinary number of di£erent molecular structures. Magnetic materials based on light elements are nevertheless very promising for technological applications as they may possess a number of precious properties such as low density, low production costs, and biocompatibility.
