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Synthesis of 3d–4f single molecule magnets (SMMs) with novel topologies and exploration of the magnetic relaxation mechanism of SMMs have continuously received considerable attention because high performance SMMs could be obtained. In this work, we selected N-3-methoxysalicylidene-2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine (H2L) and di-2-pyridyl ketone (dpk) for reaction with Ni(NO3)2·6H2O, Dy(NO3)3·5H2O and trimethylamine in a CH3OH solution, and a novel Ni4Dy4 complex, [Ni4Dy4(L)6(L′)2{(py)2C(OCH3)O}2(μ3-CO3)2(CH3OH)2]·10CH3OH·13H2O (1, (py)2C(OCH3)(OH) = the hemiacetal form of dpk), was obtained. The magnetic diluted complex, [Ni4Y3.91Dy0.09(L)6(L′)2{(py)2C(OCH3)O}2(μ3-CO3)2(CH3OH)2]·10CH3OH·12H2O (2), and the Y analogue of 1, [Ni4Y4(L)6(L′)2{(py)2C(OCH3)O}2(μ3-CO3)2(CH3OH)2]·10CH3OH·11H2O (3), were also obtained. The carbonate ions in 1–3 were formed by spontaneous fixation of atmospheric CO2. Structural analysis revealed that the metallic core in 1 can be viewed as a Ni2Dy2 butterfly connecting two NiDy subunits on each side. To our knowledge, the structural topologies of 1–3 were not reported previously. The magnetic susceptibilities of 3 were fitted by PHI, indicating that the magnetic coupling between Ni1 and Ni1a in the "Ni2Y2 butterfly" subunit of 3 is ferromagnetic. Alternating-current (ac) susceptibility studies revealed that 1–2 exhibit single molecule magnet behavior under a zero dc field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of the di-pyrrolyl Schiff base ligand H2L (H2L = N-((1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methyl)-1-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methanimine) in organolanthanide chemistry is presented. The 1 : 2 reaction of [Ln(N(SiMe3)2)3] (Ln = Dy, Ho, Er, and Gd) with H2L in THF followed by recrystallization in THF/Tol or Tol generated complexes [Dy2(HL)2(L)2(THF)2]·2THF (1·2THF), [Ho2(HL)2(L)2(THF)2] (2), [Er2(HL)2(L)2(THF)2]·4Tol (3·4Tol), and [Gd2(HL)2(L)2(THF)2] (4). In the doubly deprotonated ligand [L]2−, one pyrrolyl ring adopts the η5 coordination mode, and the other pyrrolyl moiety behaves as an η1 ligand. The deprotonated pyrrolyl scaffold of the [HL]− ligand exhibits the η1 coordination mode. Thus, the two metal centers both display a half-sandwich configuration. Studies of the dc magnetic susceptibility of 1-4 at variable temperatures showed that weak antiferromagnetic interactions exist in these compounds. The ac magnetic susceptibility measurements for 1 and 2 indicated that they did not display single-molecule magnetic (SMM) properties. The magnetic properties of 1 and 2 were further explained by DFT calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete-active-space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations combined with different active spaces have been performed on four novel two-coordinate Co(II) imido complexes with the [CoN]+ core for the short Co＝N bond. The computational demand of the selected CAS (11, 8) for all complexes is acceptable, and it also gives the most accurate results compared with the experiments. CAS (11, 8) calculations show that shortening the Co＝N bond would result in the decrease of the total orbital angular momentum L, and then the weakening of the spin–orbit coupling interaction. However, the energy level splittings for different Co＝N bonds are almost close to each other due to the continuously increasing crystal field around Co(II). Thus, the decrease of the axial symmetry is the most important factor on the lower energy barriers for two-coordinate Co(II) imido complexes with shorter Co＝N bonds. Breaking the [CoN]+ core through lengthening the Co＝N bonds for two-coordinate Co-based complexes is a good choice to enhance the energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three mononuclear tetrakis(pseudohalido)-cobalt(II) complexes (Ph4P)2[Co(E)4] (E = N3−, 1; NCO−, 2; NCS−, 3) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Each compound contains a distorted tetrahedral Co2+ ion coordinated by four pseudohalide ligands. The magnetic properties of 1–3 have been studied using direct-current magnetic measurements and high-frequency and -field EPR spectroscopy (HFEPR), suggesting easy-axis magnetic anisotropy for 1 and 2 and easy-plane anisotropy for 3. Analysis of the HFEPR spectra yielded D values of −5.23 and +3.63 cm−1 for 2 and 3, respectively. The absence of the EPR signal in 1 is consistent with a large, negative value of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameter D in 1. The nature of magnetic anisotropies of 1–3 has also been confirmed by ab initio calculations. The calculated D values are consistent with those determined using magnetometry and HFEPR studies. Alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibilities reveal slow magnetic relaxation under an applied magnetic field, thus indicating that 1–3 are field-induced single-ion magnets (SIMs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of two Schiff-base ligands H2L1 and H2L2 (H2L1 = 4-chloro-2-(((3-ethoxy-2-hydroxybenzyl)imino)methyl) phenol, H2L2 = 2-(((3-ethoxy-2-hydroxybenzyl)imino)methyl)-4-methoxy-phenol) with different substituents at the backbone of phenol in the construction of dinuclear dysprosium single-molecule magnets (SMMs) is reported. Two complexes of formulae [Dy2(L1)2(NO3)2(EtOH)(DMF)]·2EtOH (1) and [Dy2(L2)2(NO3)2(MeOH)2] (2) have been prepared and structurally characterized. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that the four DyIII ions of 1 and 2 all adopt NO7 coordination environments. The two DyIII centers of 1 exhibit triangular dodecahedron (D2d) and square antiprism (D4d) geometries, respectively, while the two DyIII sites in 2 both show triangular dodecahedron geometry with D2d symmetry. Magnetic analyses indicated that both complexes display SMM behavior with energy barriers of 86.91 K (1) and 93.70 K (2), respectively. The slight enhancement of the energy barrier of 2 reveals that the coordination geometries of DyIII ions would affect the magnetic behaviors of 1 and 2. Complete Active Space Self-Consistent Field (CASSCF) calculations were conducted for 1 and 2 to illustrate the slight variation of the magnetic behaviors. The calculated results are well consistent with those of the experimental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photochromic and magnetic properties of two dithienylethene (DTE)-based complexes, [Dy(NO3)3(Lo)2(MeOH)] (1-o) and [Dy(NO3)3(Lo)3] (2-o) (Lo = 4,5-bis(2,5-dimethylthiophen-3-yl)-1,3-dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-one), were experimentally studied in detail with the help of theoretical calculations. Both complexes exhibit an instantaneous and strong reversible photochromic response to UV/Vis irradiation, as evidenced from spectroscopic tests, and complex 1-o behaves as a typical field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM). By controlling the reaction ratio of Lo and Dy(NO)3, Lo replacing a coordinated methanol molecule in 1-o results in the production of complex 2-o, whose single-molecule behavior is off. Upon irradiation with 254 nm light, the SMM properties of 1-o deteriorate with the energy barrier decreasing from 68.1 to 44.3 K while the magnetic dynamics of complex 2-o shows no response to irradiation. Ab initio calculations reveal that the quantum tunnelling of magnetization between the ground Kramers doublets in 2-o is quite strong, leading to the disappearance of SMM behavior. For complex 1-o, the strong magnetic anisotropy and moderate quantum tunnelling of magnetization relative to 2-o give rise to an appropriate energy barrier for SMM. On the other hand, the decrease in energy barriers for 1-o after irradiation results from the weakening of magnetic anisotropy, which is caused by the stronger charge delocalization of the coordinated carbonyl oxygen atom of the ring-closed DTE ligand. By regulating the reactant ratio, two photochromic DTE-based Dy(III) complexes are obtained and the SMM properties of complex 1-o can be tuned by the light-induced isomerization of the dithienylethene ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three phenoxyl-bridged dinuclear lanthanide complexes [Ln2(dbm)2(LH2)2]·H2O (Ln = Gd for 1, Tb for 2, and Dy for 3, LH3 = (1E,3E)-2-hydroxy-5-methylisophthalaldehyde dioxime, Hdbm = dibenzoylmethane) were synthesized, and structurally and magnetically characterized. In these complexes, LnIII ions are eight coordinated and lie in D4d local symmetry. Intramolecular ferromagnetic couplings are exhibited between LnIII ions. Surprisingly, the intramolecular DyIII–DyIII magnetic couplings are up to 15.00 cm−1, which are the strongest ones of the reported Dy2 complexes by phenoxyl bridges. Complex 3 shows single-molecule magnet behavior with an effective energy of 76.18 K under zero dc field which is in accordance with the calculated value. The magnetostructural correlation of phenoxyl-bridged Dy2 complexes is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel Zn2Dy2 Schiff base cluster complexes composed of [DyZn2(salen)2Cl2]+ and [Dy(bpdc)2]− complex-fragment building blocks (bpdc2− = 2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-dicarboxylate) have been prepared, which exhibit interesting T-shaped metal cores and ferromagnetic interactions. Two-step magnetic relaxation was observed under a 1500 Oe dc field for both cluster complexes, and their effective energy barrier can be regulated by the bis-imine chain in the Schiff base. Complex 1, [Dy2Zn2(La)2(bpdc)2Cl2)]·3MeOH [H2La = N,N′- bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane], has the Ueff/k value of 20.2(0.3) K and the τ0 value of 6.7(0.2) × 10−8 s for the fast relaxation (FR) phase as well as the Ueff/k value of 243.2(4.9) K and the τ0 value of 6.0(0.3) × 10−10 s for the slow relaxation (SR) phase; while complex 2, [Dy2Zn2(Lb)2(bpdc)2Cl2)]·MeOH·H2O [H2Lb = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,2-diaminoethane], possesses the Ueff/k value of 22.0(0.4) K and the τ0 value of 4.6(0.1) × 10−8 s for the FR phase as well as the Ueff/k value of 205.7(4.4) K and the τ0 value of 1.7(0.2) × 10−9 s for the SR phase. Furthermore, the two complexes exhibit dual emission centered on not only the lanthanide(III) ion but also the ligand in the visible region, of which the metal-centered emission is closely related to the length of the bis-imine chain on the salen ligand. The average fluorescence lifetime (τ) of 1 (10.6 ns) is an order of magnitude longer than that of 2 (0.86 ns). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizing magnetically discrete 3d transition metal ions, which behave as single-ion magnet (SIM) units, in a coordination network is a promising approach to design novel single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Herein a Co(ii)-based compound of formula [Co(3-Hppt)2(adip)(H2O)2]·2H2O (1), has been prepared and structurally analyzed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The structure of the title compound consists of well-isolated one-dimensional chains of Co(ii) ions where the octahedral metal atoms are spatially separated from each other by adipic acid bridges (Co…Co = 11.197 Å). The resulting compound presents a negative uniaxial anisotropy parameter (D = −33.9 cm−1) by the analysis of the direct current magnetic data, which is further probed by ab initio calculations. Alternating-current magnetic susceptibility experiments on 1 exhibit field-induced double magnetic relaxation processes with an anisotropic energy barrier of 38.8 K resulting from the single-ion anisotropy of the individual Co(ii) ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]