Search

Magnetic properties of three variants of MOF-76(Gd), {[Gd(BTC)(H 2 O)]·G} n (BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate, G = guest molecules) were investigated by static susceptibility, isothermal magnetization and specific heat capacity measurements. In the study we used as synthesized MOF-76(Gd)-DMF (1) (G = DMF = dimethylformamide), containing DMF molecules in the cavity system, compound MOF-76(Gd) (2), activated complex without solvents in the cavities and water exchanged sample MOF-76(Gd)-H 2 O (3). A pronounced change in the magnetic entropy was found near the critical temperature for all three compounds. It was shown, that magnetic entropy change depends on the solvatation of the MOF. The highest value entropy change, ΔS Mpk (T) was observed for compound 2 (ΔS Mpk (T) = 42 J kg -1 K -1 at 1.8 K for ΔH = 5 T). The ΔS Mpk (T) for the compounds 1, 2 and 3 reached 81.8, 88.4 and 100% of the theoretical values, respectively. This suggests that in compound 3 Gd 3+ ···Gd 3+ antiferromagnetic interactions are decoupled gradually, and higher fields promote a larger decoupling between the individual spin centers. The observed entropy changes of compounds were comparable with other magnetic refrigerants proposed for low-temperature applications. To study the magnetothermal effect of 2 (the sample with largest -ΔS Mpk ), the temperature-dependent heat capacities (C) at different fields were measured. The value of magnetic entropy S obtained from heat capacities (39.5 J kg -1 K -1 at 1.8 K for an applied magnetic field change of 5 T) was in good agreement with that derived from the magnetization data (42 J kg -1 K -1 at 1.8 K).

The comprehensive study reported herein provides compelling evidence that anion templates are the main driving force in the formation of two novel nanoscale lanthanide hydroxide clusters, {Gd38(ClO4)6} (1) and {Gd48Cl2(NO3)} (2), characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, infrared spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. {Gd38(ClO4)6}, encapsulating six ClO4(-) ions, features a cage core composed of twelve vertex-sharing {Gd4} tetrahedrons and one Gd⋅⋅⋅Gd pillar. When Cl(-) and NO3(-) were incorporated in the reaction instead of ClO4(-), {Gd48Cl2(NO3)} is obtained with a barrel shape constituted by twelve vertex-sharing {Gd4} tetrahedrons and six {Gd5} pyramids. What is more, the cage-like {Gd38} can be dynamically converted into the barrel-shaped {Gd48} upon Cl(-) and NO3(-) stimulus. To our knowledge, it is the first time that the linear M-O-M' fashion and the unique μ8-ClO4(-) mode have been crystallized in pure lanthanide complex, and complex 2 represents the largest gadolinium cluster. Both of the complexes display large magnetocaloric effect in units of J kg(-1) K(-1) and mJ cm(-3) K(-1) on account of the weak antiferromagnetic exchange, the high N(Gd)/M(W) ratio (magnetic density), and the relatively compact crystal lattice (mass density)., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Two kinds of inorganic gadolinium(III)-hydroxy "ladders", [2×n] and [3×n], were successfully trapped in succinate (suc) coordination polymers, [Gd2(OH)2(suc)2(H2O)]n·2nH2O (1) and [Gd6(OH)8(suc)5(H2O)2 ]n·4n H2O (2), respectively. Such coordination polymers could be regarded as alternating inorganic-organic hybrid materials with relatively high density. Magnetic and heat capacity studies reveal a large cryogenic magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in both compounds, namely (ΔH=70 kG) 42.8 J kg(-1) K(-1) for complex 1 and 48.0 J kg(-1) K(-1) for complex 2. The effect of the high density is evident, which gives very large volumetric MCEs up to 120 and 144 mJ cm(-3) K(-1) for complexes 1 and 2, respectively., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)