Search

Design and synthesis of air-stable and easily tailored high-performance single-molecule magnets (SMMs) are of great significance toward the implementation of SMMs in molecular-based magneto-electronic devices. Here, by introducing electron-withdrawing fluorinated substituents on equatorial ligand, two chiral Dy(III) macrocyclic complexes, RRRR-Dy-D6hF12 (1) and SSSS-Dy-D6hF12 (2), with a record anisotropy barrier exceeding 1800 K and the longest relaxation time approaching 2500 s at 2.0 K for all known air-stable SMMs, were obtained. The nearly perfect axiality of the ground Kramers doublet (KD) enables the open hysteresis loops up to 20 K in the magnetically diluted sample. It is notable that they are structurally rigid with high thermal stability and the apical ligand can be tailored to carry proper surface-binding groups. This finding not only improves the magnetic properties for air-stable SMMs but also provides a new avenue for deposition of SMMs on surfaces.

A β-diketonate mononuclear dysprosium complex, with the formula [Dy(dpq)(BTFA)3] (1), has been prepared via self-assembly between 3-benzoyl-1,1,1-trifluoroacetone (BTFA) and dipyrido [3,2-d:2′,3′-f]quinoxaline (dpq) ligands. The crystallographic data reveal that the central Dy(III) ion is eight-coordinated by six oxygen atoms from three BTFA ligands and two N atoms from auxiliary dpq ligands, forming an approximately square-antiprismatic (SAP) coordination geometry with a D4d axial symmetry. Magnetic measurements point out that complex 1 exhibits single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviours with an anisotropy barrier of 45.65 K under a zero direct-current (dc) field. With an applied dc field of 1200 Oe, the quantum tunnelling of the magnetization (QTM) is suppressed in 1 with an enhanced effective barrier of 178.42 K. A diamagnetic Y(III) analogue [Y(dpq)(BTFA)3] (2) and diluted species [Dy0.06Y0.94(BTFA)3(dpq)] (1@Y) were constructed to further perform the dilution experiment. The results unveil that the SMM behaviour observed in 1 is of molecular origin and is related to the single-ion magnetic behaviour of Dy(III) itself, even though the elimination of the dipolar and intermolecular interactions can modestly slow down the magnetic relaxation rate. The relaxation mechanisms and magneto-structure relationship are rationally discussed by ab initio calculations as well.

Lanthanide permanent magnets are widely used in applications ranging from nanotechnology to industrial engineering. However, limited access to the rare earths and rising costs associated with their extraction are spurring interest in the development of lanthanide-free hard magnets. Zero- and one-dimensional magnetic materials are intriguing alternatives due to their low densities, structural and chemical versatility, and the typically mild, bottom-up nature of their synthesis. Here, we present two one-dimensional cobalt(II) systems Co(hfac)2 (R-NapNIT) (R-NapNIT=2-(2'-(R-)naphthyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, R=MeO or EtO) supported by air-stable nitronyl nitroxide radicals. These compounds are single-chain magnets and exhibit wide, square magnetic hysteresis below 14 K, with giant coercive fields up to 65 or 102 kOe measured using static or pulsed high magnetic fields, respectively. Magnetic, spectroscopic, and computational studies suggest that the record coercivities derive not from three-dimensional ordering but from the interaction of adjacent chains that compose alternating magnetic sublattices generated by crystallographic symmetry.

The lanthanide complexes [Cp*2Ln][N,N′-bpyB] (1: Ln = Dy; 3: Ln = Gd; Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and [222-cryptand-K][(Cp*2Ln)(N,N′-bpyB)] (2: Ln = Dy; 4: Ln = Gd) bearing the redox-noninno...

The detection and reusage of transition-metal ions play a crucial role in human health and environmental protection. Recently, various analytical methods and substances have been successfully applied to probe or sense silver ions; however, rare representative examples have been presented regarding the simultaneous detection of silver and silver recycling with the elemental silver powder form. Herein, an unparalleled sensing mechanism for silver ions and recycling silver in its elemental form is exemplified by a fluorescent trinuclear zinc coordination cluster possessing the dual function of colorimetric sensing of silver and responding cupric ions. A Schiff-base-based trinuclear zinc coordination cluster

Two rhodamine 6G-based mononuclear dysprosium complexes, [Dy(LR)(LA)2](ClO4)3·Et2O·1.5MeOH·0.5H2O (1) and [Dy(LR)(H2O)4(MeCN)](ClO4)3·2H2O·MeCN (2) (LR = salicylaldehyde rhodamine 6G hydrazone, LA = 2-pyridylcarboxaldehyde benzoyl hydrazone), are synthesized, aiming at improving the magnetic behavior by modulating their coordination environment. Both complexes own one exclusive short Dy-Ophenoxy coordination bond as the predominant bond and exhibit single-molecule magnet behavior under zero dc field with the energy barrier (Ueff/kB) of 90 K (1) and 320 K (2) and apparent hysteresis at 1.9 K. The ab initio calculations indicate that the short Dy-Ophenoxy bond determines the direction of magnetic anisotropic axis for 1 and 2. The quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM) between the ground Kramers doublets (KDs) in 1 cannot be neglected, leading to an experimental Ueff/kB much lower than the calculated energy of the first excited state (318.2 K). For 2, the stronger magnetic anisotropy and negligible QTM between the ground KDs guarantees that the energy barrier is close to the calculated energy of first KDs (320.8 K). On the other hand, the presence of ring-opened xanthene moiety makes complexes 1 and 2 in the solid state emit red light with emission bands of 645 and 658 nm, respectively.

Two five-coordinate mononuclear Co(ii) complexes [Co(12-TMC)X][B(C6H5)4] (L = 1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (12-TMC), X = Cl- (1), Br- (2)) have been studied by X-ray single crystallography, magnetic measurements, high-frequency and -field EPR (HF-EPR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Both complexes have a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the Co(ii) ion lying above the basal plane constrained by the rigid tetradentate macrocyclic ligand. In contrast to the reported five-coordinate Co(ii) complex [Co(12-TMC)(NCO)][B(C6H5)4] (3) exhibiting easy-axis anisotropy, an easy-plane magnetic anisotropy was found for 1 and 2via the analyses of the direct-current magnetic data and HF-EPR spectroscopy. Frequency- and temperature-dependent alternating-current magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrated that complexes 1 and 2 show slow magnetic relaxation at an applied dc field. Ab initio calculations were performed to reveal the impact of the terminal ligands on the nature of the magnetic anisotropies of this series of five-coordinate Co(ii) complexes.

Two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [Dy(BDC)(NO3)(DMF)2]n (1, H2BDC = terephthalic acid) and [Dy(BDC)(NO3)]n (1a), were synthesized. The structures of MOFs 1 and 1a are easy to be reversibly transformed into each other by the desorption or adsorption of coordination solvent molecules. Accordingly, their magnetic properties can also be changed reversibly, which realizes our goals of manipulating on/off single-molecule magnet behaviour. MOF 1 behaves as a single-molecule magnet either with or without DC field. Contrarily, no slow magnetic relaxation was observed in 1a both under zero field and applied field.

For a long time, the cobalt(II) complex ([Co(napy)4 ](ClO4 )2 ) (napy=1, 8-naphthyridine) has been considered as an eight-coordinate complex without any structural proof. After careful considerations, two complexes [Co(napy)2 Cl2 ] (1) and [Co(napy)4 ](ClO4 )2 (2) based on the bidentate ligand napy were synthesized and structurally characterized. X-ray single-crystal structural determination showed that the cobalt(II) center in [Co(napy)2 Cl2 ] (1) is four-coordinate with a tetrahedral geometry (Td ), while [Co(napy)4 ](ClO4 )2 (2) is seven-coordinate rather than eight-coordinate with a capped trigonal prism geometry (C2v ). Direct-current (dc) magnetic data revealed that complexes 1 and 2 possess positive zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters of 11.08 and 25.30 cm-1 , respectively, with easy-plane magnetic anisotropy. Alternating current(ac) susceptibility measurements revealed that both complexes showed slow magnetic relaxation behaviour. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that the presence of easy-plane magnetic anisotropy (D>0) for complexes 1 and 2 is in agreement with the experimental data. Furthermore, these results pave the way to obtain four-coordinate and seven-coordinate cobalt(II) single-ion magnets (SIMs) by using a bidentate ligand.

Two mononuclear tetrahedral Co(II) complexes (HNEt3)2[Co(L1)2]·H2O (1) and (Bu4N)2[Co(L2)2]·H2O (2) (H2L1 = N,N′-bis(p-toluenesulfony1)oxamide, H2L2 = N,N′-diphenyloxamide) have been synthesized, a...

Three new mononuclear rare earth (RE) complexes [RE(HL)2(NO3)3(CH3OH)] (HL = 1-[N-(4-bromophenyl)]aminomethylidene-2(1H)naphthalenone; RE = Y (1), Dy (2), Er (3)) have been synthesized. The structures of complexes 1–3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Each complex contains two HL ligands which bind to the RE(III) ion in a monodentate coordination mode, three NO3– and one coordinated methanol ligands, exhibiting a distorted tricapped trigonal prism (D3h) configuration. Slow relaxation of the magnetization under 1 kOe can be observed for complex 2. Further ab initio calculations show that the orientation of the ground magnetic easy axis is parallel with the line of O(HL)-O(HL) with the deviation angle being 4.29°. In addition, the ground gz value of complex 2 is 19.6858, which approximates the limit value of 20. However, the gz value of the low-lying ground state of complex 3 deviates severely from the limit value of 18, indicating weak axial anisotropy. Further measurements of ac susceptibilities confirmed the weak magnetic behavior in complex 3.

Three heterometallic dinuclear compounds, [MIIDyIII(L)(Pc)(ROH)]·ROH (R = CH3, M = Ni (1), Zn (2); R = C2H5, M = Zn (3)), were stepwise synthesized based on phthalocyanine (H2Pc) and one tripodal S...

By using paramagnetic [Fe(CN)6 ]3- anions in place of diamagnetic [Co(CN)6 ]3- anions, two field-induced mononuclear single-molecular magnets, [Nd(18-crown-6)(H2 O)4 ][Co(CN)6 ]⋅2 H2 O (1) and [Nd(18-crown-6)(H2 O)4 ][Fe(CN)6 ]⋅2 H2 O (2), have been synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that compounds 1 and 2 were ionic complexes. The NdIII ions were located inside the cavities of the 18-crown-6 ligands and were each bound by four water molecules on either side of the crown ether. Magnetic investigations showed that these compounds were both field-induced single-molecular magnets. By comparing the slow relaxation behaviors of compounds 1 and 2, we found significant differences between the direct and Raman processes for these two complexes, with a stronger direct process in compound 2 at low temperatures. Complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations were also performed on two [Nd(18-crown-6)(H2 O)4 ]3+ fragments of compounds 1 and 2. Ab initio calculations showed that the magnetic anisotropies of the NdIII centers in complexes 1 and 2 were similar to each other, which indicated that the difference in relaxation behavior was not owing to the magnetic anisotropy of NdIII . Our analysis showed that the magnetic interaction between the NdIII ion and the low-spin FeIII ion in complex 2 played an important role in enhancing the direct process and suppressing the Raman process of the single-molecular magnet.

Four isostructural dinuclear lanthanide complexes based on 4-azotriazolyl-3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (H3ATNA) and 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (H2NA) ligands, {[Ln2(HATNA)2(HNA)2(H2O)4]·6DMF} (Ln = Dy (1), Tb (2), Sm (3), Eu (4); DMF = N, N-dimethylformamide) have been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction crystallography, dc/ac magnetic characterization, and fluorescent spectrometry. The crystallographic data reveal dinuclear lanthanide cores of complexes 1-4, bridged by phenoxo and μ1,3 carboxyl groups. Each nine-coordinated Ln(III) ion is located in a slightly distorted monocapped square antiprism. The ligand of H3ATNA displays a unique antenna effect in complex 4. Complexes 1-3 display only two ligand-centered fluorescent emissive peaks around 450 and 600 nm, and complex 4 shows four characteristic Eu(III)-centered emission bands at 593, 618, 653, and 698 nm under excitation at 348 nm. Complex 1 exhibits single-molecule magnet behavior that is rationalized through ab initio calculations.

Two mononuclear dysprosium complexes (Et3NH)[Dy(BrMQ)4]·H2O·DMF(BrMQ-Dy) and (Et3NH)[Dy(ClMQ)4]·H2O·DMF (ClMQ-Dy) (H-BrMQ = 5,7-dibromo-2-methyl-8-quinolinol, H-ClMQ = 5,7-dichloro-2-methyl-8-quinolinol) were synthesized and characterized. The Dy(III) ions in complexes BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy have a pseudo-D4d local symmetry. Magnetic characterizations reveal that complex BrMQ-Dy is a single-ion magnet and complex ClMQ-Dy exhibits field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behaviors. The calculated effective barriers of BrMQ-Dy, BrMQ-Dya, ClMQ-Dy, and ClMQ-Dya are 47.8, 27.3, 96.0, and 65.5 cm-1, respectively (BrMQ-Dya and ClMQ-Dya represent the desolvated samples of BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy, respectively). Ab initio calculations confirmed that coordination symmetry of the Dy(III) ions, electron-withdrawing ligands, and the guest molecules is a key factor affecting the magnetic dynamics of the two complexes. The IC50 values of BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy against BEL-7404, HeLa, and Hep-G2 cancer cells were 1.01-22.06 μM. Interestingly, two Dy(III) complexes were less toxic to normal HL-7702 cells. BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy significantly induced cell arrest at G2 phase and down-regulated the G2 phase-related protein levels. Various experiments suggested that BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy also caused dysfunction of mitochondrial pathways in HeLa cells. Taken together, the different in vitro anticancer activity of complexes BrMQ-Dy and ClMQ-Dy in the order of 5,7-dichloro substitution > 5,7-dibromo substitution.

A family of four mononuclear DyIII β-diketonate complexes with formulas [Dy(tmhd)3 (Br2 -bpy) (1), [Dy(tmhd)3 (Br-bpy)] (2), [Dy(tmhd)3 (dppz)] (3), and [Dy(tmhd)3 (mcdpq)] (4) (tmhd=2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione, Br2 -bpy=5,5'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridine, Br-bpy=5-bromo-2,2'-bipyridine, dppz=dipyrido [3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine, mcdpq=2-methoxyl-3-cyanodipyrido[3,2-f:2,3'-h]quinoxaline) were prepared by modifying the capping N-donor coligands. DyIII centers in these complexes feature an N2 O6 octacoordinate environment with distorted square-antiprismatic D4d symmetry. Magnetic investigations evidenced single-ion magnet behavior in all complexes with energy barriers Ueff of 42.10 (1), 61.47, (2), 77.53 (3), and 2.51 K (4) in the absence of static field, as well as 206.03 (1), 224.13 (2), 247.76 (3), and 49.70 K (4) under applied dc field (Hdc =1500 Oe for 1 and 2; Hdc =1200 Oe for 3 and 4). The different natures of the N-donor ligands induce changes in both the coordination geometry and their intermolecular interactions, which severely impact their magnetic dynamics. The disparities in their magnetic behaviors and the uniaxial anisotropies are also explained and substantiated by theoretical calculations.

To develop new lanthanide single-molecule magnets (SMMs), two new complexes of [Dy2(MeOH)2(HL1)2(NO3)2]·2MeOH (1) and [Dy6(μ3-OH)2(L2)2(HL2)2(H2L2)2Cl2(EtOH)2]Cl2·3EtOH·CH3CN (2) were obtained by reacting Dy(NO)3·6H2O with 3-amino-1,2-propanediol in the presence of 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde for 1 and by reacting DyCl3·6H2O with 1,1-di(hydroxymethyl)ethylamine in the presence of 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde for 2, respectively, in which the Schiff base ligands of 3-(((2-hydroxynaphthaen-1-yl)methylene)amino)-propane-1,2-diol (H3L1) and 2-(β-naphthalideneamino)-2-(hydroxylmethyl)-1-propanol (H3L2) were in situ formed. The two Dy(III) ions in 1 are linked by two Oalkoxy atoms of two (HL1)2- ligands to build a dinuclear skeleton. Complex 2 presents a nearly planar hexanuclear skeleton constructed from four edge-shared triangular Dy3 units with the two peripheral Dy3 units consolidated by two μ3-O bridges and the two central Dy3 units consolidated by one μ3-O bridge. Obviously, they exhibit a different topological arrangement resulting from the linkage of the Schiff base ligands. Both of them are typical SMMs under zero dc fields, with a Ueff/ kB value of 34 K for 1 and 40 K for 2, respectively. Multiple processes are involved in the relaxation processes of 1 and 2. The different SMM performances of the two titled complexes reveal a tuning effect of Schiff base ligands through tuning the coordination environments and topological arrangements of dysprosium(III) ions, which is supported by the theoretical calculations.

Four tetranuclear 3d–4f complexes, namely [Fe2Ln2(L)2(teaH)2(Cl)2](NO3)2·4CH3CN (H2L = N1,N3-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine, teaH3 = triethanolamine, Ln = Dy for 1 and Ln = Gd for 1′) and [Co2Ln2(L)2(pdm)2(CH3COO)2(CH3OH)2](NO3)2·xCH3OH·yH2O (pdmH2 = 2,6-pyridinedimethanol, Ln = Dy, x = 5 and y = 2.5 for 2 and Ln = Gd, x = 6 and y = 1.5 for 2′), have been reported. Two FeIII and two DyIII in 1 formed a zigzag Fe1–Dy1–Dy1a–Fe1a arrangement with a Fe1–Dy1–Dy1a angle of 105.328(3)°. However, in contrast to 1, two CoIII and two DyIII ions in 2 formed a more linear Co1–Dy1–Dy1a–Co1a arrangement with a Co1–Dy1–Dy1a angle of 141.86(2)°. Additionally, two DyIII ions in 1 are eight-coordinated with a triangular dodecahedron geometry, while two DyIII ions in 2 adopt nine-coordination with a muffin geometry. Magnetic studies revealed slow magnetic relaxation behavior for 1, with an energy barrier Ea of 6.9 K. For 2, single molecule magnet behavior was presented under a zero dc field with an effective energy barrier Ueff of 64.0(9) K. Ab initio calculations for 1 and 2 indicate that compared to 2, complex 1 has a larger transversal magnetic moment of its ground Kramers doublets (KD) and a larger value of the tunnelling parameter (Δt) for the exchanged coupled ground state, which may result in poor single molecule magnet behavior for 1.

Four chair-like hexanuclear Fe-Ln complexes containing mixed organic ligands, namely, [Fe4Ln2{(py)2CO2}4(pdm)2(NO3)2(H2O)2Cl4]·xCH3CN·yH2O (Ln = GdIII (1, x = 1, y = 0), DyIII (2, x = 1, y = 1), HoIII (3, x = 0, y = 2), and ErIII (4, x = 1, y = 3); (py)2CO2H2 = the gem-diol form of di-2-pyridyl ketone and pdmH2 = 2,6-pyridinedimethanol) have been obtained by employing di-2-pyridyl ketone and 2,6-pyridinedimethanol reacting with FeCl3 and Ln(NO3)3 in MeCN. The structures of 1-4 are similar to each other except for the number of lattice solvent molecules. Four FeIII and two LnIII in these complexes comprise a chair-like core with the "body" constructed by four FeIII ions and the "end" constructed by two LnIII ions. Among the four compounds, 2 shows field-induced single molecule magnet behavior as revealed by ac magnetic susceptibility studies, with the effective energy barrier and the pre-exponential factor of 22.07 K and 8.44 × 10-7 s, respectively. Ab initio calculations indicated that, among 2_Dy, 3_Ho and 4_Er fragments, the energy gap between the lowest two spin-orbit states for 2_Dy is the largest, while the tunneling gap for 2 is the smallest. These might be the reasons for complex 2 exhibiting SMM behavior. Additionally, the orientations of the magnetic anisotropy of DyIII in 2 were obtained by electrostatic calculations and ab initio calculations, both indicating that the directions of the main magnetic axis of Dy1 ions are almost aligned along Dy1-O5 (O5 from the pdm2- ligand).

In this work, we report the syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of three novel Zn–Ln mixed metal complexes, namely [Zn4Dy2(L1)2(L2)2(N3)2]Cl2·2H2O (1), [Zn4Tb2(L1)2(L2)2(Cl)2][ZnN3Cl3]·2H2O (2), and [Zn4Gd2(L1)2(L2)2(Cl)2][ZnN3Cl3]·2H2O (3), in which L12− and L23− were formed from the ligand L [L = N1,N3-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine] through in situ reactions. Interestingly, carbon dioxide in air was absorbed in the process of forming carbamate ligand L23−; this can be ascribed to the insertion of CO2 into M–N amide bonds. Moreover, 1 and 2 represent the first series of 3d–4f SMMs containing carbamate ligands by fixation of CO2 in air. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the crystal structures of 1 and 2 are anion-dependent, i.e., the apical positions of the two ZnII ions in 1 and 2 are occupied by an N atom of N3− and by Cl−, respectively. However, the topologies of 2 and 3 are similar. Two ZnII ions and one LnIII (Ln = Dy (1), Tb (2) and Gd (3)) form nearly linear trinuclear [Zn2Ln] units which are double-bridged by two L23− ligands. Magnetic studies reveal that two complexes show single molecule magnet behavior under a direct current (dc) field, with effective energy barriers (Ueff) of 30.66(5) K for 1 and 8.87(3) K for 2. Ab initio calculations reveal that the DyIII ions in 1 and the TbIII ions in 2 are axial in nature; however, a difference in the tunnel splitting of 1 and 2 leads to variation in the magnetization blockades of the two complexes. Theoretical calculations also indicate that the directions of the main magnetic axes severely deviate from the coordination atoms of the first spheres of DyIII and TbIII in 1 and 2; thus further results in poor SMM behavior of the two complexes.

The discovery of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) has offered new opportunities for the expansion of porous materials. The field of HOFs has also introduced a new challenge—the design and synthesis of lanthanide HOFs (Ln–HOFs). Given that Ln complexes have various coordination modes, complex coordination structures, and irregular shapes, Ln–HOFs are extremely difficult to construct. In this study, a series of dysprosium-based HOFs (Dy–HOFs), namely, [Dy(L1)3(CH3OH)·Phen]n (Cl-1) and [Dy(L2)3(CH3OH)·Phen]n (Br-1), were designed and synthesized for the first time under solvothermal conditions of 5,7-dichloro/dibromo-2-methyl-8-quinolinol (L1/L2), Dy(NO3)3·6H2O, and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Phen). The porous Cl-1 (Br-1) was filled with Phen molecules linked by various supramolecular weak interactions. After Cl-1 (Br-1) was incubated at 260 °C for 2 h under a N2 atmosphere, we found that only free Phen in the pores disappeared and Cl-2 (Br-2) was obtained. Magnetic characterization studies revealed that Cl-1 and Br-1 exhibited inconspicuous slow relaxation behavior. Unexpectedly, Cl-2 and Br-2 exhibited an evident single-ion magnetic (SIM) behavior, and their energy barriers were 97 and 87 K, respectively. We achieved the off → on SIM conversion of the Dy–HOFs for the first time.

Three two-dimensional CoII complexes, namely, [Co(dps)2Cl2]n (1), [Co(dps)2Br2]n (2), and [Co(dps)2(H2O)2·I2·(H2O)4]n (3) (where dps = 4,4′-dipyridyl sulfide), have been synthesized using a rationally designed synthetic approach and characterized structurally and magnetically. Although they crystallize in different space groups, these compounds all have similar two-dimensional (4,4) layer structures where the Co2+ centers are bridged by the bis(monodentate) ligand dps. In addition, the coordination geometry of the Co2+ centers is of a general CoN4X2 octahedral environment formed by four equatorial N atoms from four dps ligands and two X atoms (X = Cl, Br, and O atoms for 1–3, respectively) in the axial positions. Ab initio calculations revealed that due to the strong spin–orbit coupling, the spin Hamiltonian containing the zero-field splitting parameters D and E cannot be used to describe their magnetic anisotropy. According to the calculation, the gz values for the spin–orbit ground doublets of 1–3 are larger than the gx and gy values, which indicates the easy-axis magnetic anisotropy of these compounds. Due to the existence of the magnetic anisotropy, field-induced single-ion magnet behavior can be observed in all these complexes. This work illustrated that care should be taken to interpret the magnetic data of octahedral CoII compounds. In addition, extended frameworks with long and flexible organic spacers are good candidates for the construction of SIMs with different axial ligands and different magnetic properties.

The combination of LnIII ions (GdIII, TbIII or DyIII) and a pyrazole nitronyl nitroxide radical results in three isomorphous complexes, namely, [Ln(hfac)3(NIT-Pyz)]2 (Ln = Gd(1), Tb(2), Dy(3); hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetone; NIT-Pyz = 2-{3-pyrazolyl}-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that all of them are composed of two crystallographically independent mononuclear systems, in which the central LnIII ions are coordinated by three hfac and one bidentate chelating NIT-Pyz radical. The central LnIII ions are all in square antiprism geometry (D4d) polyhedron configurations. Based on the spin Hamiltonian calculations, there exist antiferromagnetic couplings in the GdIII-NIT radical system in complex 1. Complexes 2 and 3 show frequency-dependent out-of-phase signals in a zero field indicating single-molecule magnetic behavior. Moreover, Tb's complex (2) shows a single thermal relaxation process with an energy barrier of 26 K. For Dy's complex (3), the Orbach and Raman processes both contribute to the magnetic relaxation behaviors.

The utilization of two isomorphic ligands with different substituents leads to two centrosymmetric DyIII dimers, namely, [Dy2(bfbpen)2(H2O)2]·2I- (1) and [Dy2(bcbpen)2(H2O)2]·2I-·0.5H2O (2) (H2bfbpen = N,N'-bis-(2-hydroxy-5-fluoro-benzyl)-N,N'-bis-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethylenediamine and H2bcbpen = N,N'-bis-(2-hydroxy-5-chloro-benzyl)-N,N'-bis-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethylenediamine). Although Dy ions in both compounds uniformly exhibit a square-antiprism geometry, the critical difference found in the terminal substituents of the two ligands fine-tunes the local crystal field around Dy centers and the dinuclear molecular structures of 1 and 2. Magnetic investigations unveil that both 1 and 2 display dynamic magnetic relaxation of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour with different energy barriers of 20.9 K for 1 and 72.7 K for 2 under a zero direct-current (dc) field, as well as 26.9 K for 1 under a 1200 Oe dc field. Compared to 1, the stronger uniaxial anisotropy and magnetic exchange in 2 render it a better SMM as evidenced by the higher energy barrier. Ab initio calculations are also performed on both Dy2 compounds to rationalize the observed discrepancy in their magnetic behaviours. The contribution illustrates that the SMM behaviour could be effectively enhanced by means of deliberate local structural manipulation.

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).

Two dysprosium complexes bearing unsupported Dy–Ge/Sn metal–metal bonds are reported here, wherein the Dy–Ge and Dy–Sn bonds both contain relatively large covalency. The complexes exhibit slow relaxation of magnetization at zero field with energy barriers of 485 and 620 K, respectively, and the blocking temperature of 6 K.

A tetradentate 8-hydroxyquinoline-based acyl hydrazone ligand (HL1 = 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-(aminourea)hydrochloride) was elaborately used to construct a mononuclear dysprosium complex DyCl3HL1·CH3OH (1) with a nearly ideal pentagonal bipyramid coordination geometry (D5h) surrounding the Dy(iii) ion to achieve the significant performance of single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Meanwhile, the isolated high local symmetry center was successfully kept intact and further bridged to a series of double bipyramid systems by two phenolic oxygen atoms of the acyl hydrazone ligands (HL1 and HL2 = 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-(benzoyl)hydrazine), with the formulae [Dy2Cl4(L1)2(CH3OH)2]·4C5H5N (2) and [Dy2Cl4(L2)2]·2CH3CN (3). In addition, the monodentate co-ligand anion was replaced by a larger sterically hindered ligand and a bidentate monovalent β-diketonate anion to generate [Dy2(tfo)4(L2)2(EtOH)2] (4), [Dy2(tta)4(L2)2(EtOH)2]·2(EtOH) (5) and [Dy2(dbm)4(L2)2(EtOH)2] (6) (tfo = trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, dbm = dibenzoylmethane, tta = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedione) with eight-coordinate geometry. Strikingly, the dynamic magnetic measurements revealed that complexes 1-3 did not display the expected significant SMM performance albeit they had high local symmetry. In combination with ab initio calculation, the alignment of the coordination symmetric axis and the magnetic easy axis dominates the molecular magnetic anisotropy, and the magnetic easy axis could be modulated by the distribution of coordination atoms with different electrostatic properties.

We showcase the coordination anion substitution effect on the relaxation dynamics of defect dicubane Zn2Dy2 tetranuclear clusters. On utilization of the coordination similarity of acetate and nitrate anions, we successfully isolated two defect dicubane Zn2Dy2 tetranuclear clusters with formulas [Zn2Dy2(L)4(NO3)2(CH3OH)2]·2CH3COCH3 (1) and [Zn2Dy2(L)4(CH3COO)2(CH3CH2OH)2]·4CH3COCH3 (2), where L denotes the fully deprotonated H2L ligand (E)-4-(tert-butyl)-2-((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)phenol. Such a subtle change in the coordination anion around the DyIII site imposes a significant effect on the distinct relaxation dynamics in 1 and 2. Their magnetic properties were characterized through SQUID magnetometry and theoretical calculations to determine the effective energy barrier, energy levels, magnetic anisotropy and intracluster magnetic exchange coupling interactions. Both tetramers display frequency dependence of the out-of-phase ac magnetic susceptibility signal under zero applied dc field associated with single-molecule magnetic behaviour. The effective energy barriers of 1 and 2 are 108 and 40 cm-1, respectively. Theoretical calculations suggest that the different relaxation dynamics between them are mainly ascribed to the variation of the coordination anion around the DyIII site.

A novel superparamagnetic dysprosium chain complex, namely, [Dy(L)Cl(CH3OH)]n (1) (H2L = N′-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)pyrazine-N-oxide-carbohydrazide), has been successfully synthesized by the extension of dinuclear units through chloride bridges. Magnetic and theoretical studies indicate that dipolar magnetic interactions induced by the chloride bridges are helpful for the magnetic relaxation process to pass through the second-excited state of dysprosium ions, resulting in the higher energy barrier for 1.

A series of dinuclear lanthanide complexes bridged by three pyridine-N-oxide (PyNO) ligands with formula [Dy2(hfac)6(4-cpyNO)3]·4H2O (Dy1), [Gd2(hfac)6(4-cpyNO)3]·4H2O (Gd1), [Dy2(hfac)6(4-mepyNO)3] (Dy2), [Gd2(hfac)6(4-mepyNO)3] (Gd2) (hfac− = hexafluoroacetylacetonate, 4-cpyNO = 4-cyanopyridine N-oxide, 4-mepyNO = 4-Methylpyridine N-oxide), and series of dinuclear lanthanide complexes bridged by two PyNO ligands with formula [Dy2(hfac)6(4-cpyNO)2] (Dy3), [Y2(hfac)6(4-cpyNO)2] (Y1), [Gd2(hfac)6(4-cpyNO)2] (Gd3), [Dy2(hfac)6(4-mepyNO)2] (Dy4), [Y2(hfac)6(4-mepyNO)2] (Y2), [Gd2(hfac)6(4-mepyNO)2] (Gd4), were structurally and magnetically characterized. The crystal structures revealed that pyridine-N-oxide serves as an effective bridge to link two Ln(III) centers, and periphery β-diketonate ligands complete the coordination sphere. The number of PyNO bridge can be rationally controlled by the stoichiometric ratio of reagents, which leads to different local coordination models and intramolecular Ln-Ln distances. Furthermore, elaborate modulation on the strength of magnetic coupling transmitted by PyNO bridge was successfully carried out by introducing electron-donating or -withdrawing substituents on the bridge ligand backbone. Magnetic measurements revealed that complex Dy3 displayed significant double zero-field slow magnetic relaxation process, while Dy1 and Dy2 showed field-induced SMM behavior. Significantly enhanced SMMs performance was observed in Dy4 with a hysteresis temperature of 2.5 K. The distinct slow magnetic relaxation behaviors were strongly related to their different individual Dy(III) ion magnetic anisotropy and Dy(III)-Dy(III) coupling, which were further confirmed by ab initio calculation.

A series of binuclear dysprosium compounds, namely, [Dy(api)]2 (1), [Dy(api)]2·2CH2Cl2 (2), [Dy(Clapi)]2·2C4H8O (3), and [Dy(Clapi)]2·2C3H6O (4) (H3api = 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-bis[4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-azabut-3-enyl]-1,3-imidazoline; H3Clapi = 2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-chlorophenyl)-1,3-bis[3′-aza-4′-(2′′-hydroxy-5′′-chlorophenyl)prop-4′-en-1′-yl]-1,3-imidazolidine), have been isolated by the reactions of salen-type ligands H3api/H3Clapi with DyCl3·6H2O in different solvent systems. Structural analysis reveals that each salen-type ligand provides a heptadentate coordination pocket (N4O3) to encapsulate a DyIII ion and all of the DyIII centers in 1–4 adopt a distorted square antiprism geometry with D4d symmetry. Magnetic studies showed that compound 1 did not exhibit single-molecule magnetic (SMMs) behavior. With the introduction of different lattice solvents, compounds 2–4 showed filed-induced slow magnetic relaxation with barriers Ueff of 18.2 K (2), 28.0 K (3) and 16.4 K (4), respectively. Ab initio calculations were employed to interpret the magnetization behavior of 1–4. The combination of experimental and theoretical data reveal the importance of the weak exchange interaction between the DyIII ions in the observation of slow magnetic relaxation, and a relaxation mechanism has been developed to rationalize the observed difference in the Ueff values. The different lattice solvents influence Dy–O–Dy bond angles and thus alter the torsion of the square antiprism geometry, consequently resulting in distinct magnetic interactions and the magnetic behavior.

The magnetic properties of the T-shaped three-coordinate complexes, namely, [(sIMes)2Fe(THF)][BPh4] (1, sIMes: 1,3-bis(2′,4′,6′-trimethylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene) and [(cyIMes)2Fe(THF)][BPh4] (2, cyIMes: 1,3-bis(2′,4′,6′-diethylphenyl)-4,5-(CH2)4-imidazol-2-ylidene) and quasi-linear two-coordinate complexes [(sIDep)2Fe][BArF4] (3, sIDep: 1,3-bis(2′,6′-diethylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene; ArF: 3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) and [(cyIDep)2Fe][BArF4] (4, cyIDep: 1,3-bis(2′,6′-diethylphenyl)-4,5-(CH2)4-imidazol-2-ylidene) were studied. Magnetic characterization indicated the unquenched first-order angular momentum and large zero-field splitting. AC susceptibility measurements showed that the T-shaped three-coordinate Fe(I) complexes exhibited field-induced relaxation of magnetization. The Direct, resonant quantum tunneling, and Raman processes were observed and contributed to the determination of the overall magnetic relaxations.

In this work, we first synthesized a Zn-Dy complex, [Zn6Dy2(L)6(tea)2(CH3OH)2]·6CH3OH·8H2O (H2L = N-3-methoxysalicylidene-2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine, teaH3 = triethanolamine, 1), by employing H2L, anhydrous ZnCl2, and Dy(NO3)3·5H2O reacting with auxiliary ligand teaH3 in the mixture of CH3OH and DMF. When teaH3 and the solvent CH3OH in the reaction system of 1 were replaced by the auxiliary ligand 2,6-pyridinedimethanol (pdmH2) and the solvent MeCN, another Zn-Dy complex, [Zn4Dy4(L)6(pdm)2(pdmH)4]·10CH3CN·5H2O (2), was obtained. For 1, its crystal structure can be viewed as a dimer of two Zn3DyIII units. However, for 2, four DyIII form a zigzag arrangement, and each of its terminals linked two ZnII ions. Interestingly, although the structural topologies of 1 and 2 are different, the coordination geometries of DyIII in 1 and 2 are all triangular dodecahedron (TDD-8). The difference is that the continuous shape measure (CShM) values of DyIII in 1 are larger than the corresponding values in 2. Magnetic investigation revealed that the diluted sample 1@Y exhibits two magnetic relaxation processes, while 2 only exhibits a single relaxation process. Ab initio calculations indicated that, in the crystal lattice of 1, two complexes exhibiting slightly different CShM values of DyIII result in the double relaxation behavior of 1@Y. However, for 2, one of two DyIII fragments possesses a fast quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), resulting in its magnetic process presented at T < 1.8 K, so 2 exhibits single relaxation behavior. More importantly, the theoretical calculations also clearly indicated that the weak ligation at equatorial sites of DyIII in 1 and 2 ensure 1@Y and 2 possess SMM behavior, although the coordination geometry of DyIII (TDD-8) in 1 and 2 severely deviates from the ideal polyhedron and its axial symmetry is low.

A series of 3D homologous metal–organic frameworks, [M(H0.5L)2] [M = Dy (1), Ho (2), Yb (3), Sm (4), Gd (5), and Y (6); H2L = 5-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)isophthalic acid], were isolated. In these complexe...

A class of cyano-bridged 3d-4f zig-zag chain compounds, {RE[TM(CN)6] (PNO)2(H2O)4}·(H2O) {RE = YIII, TM = [FeIII]LS (1); RE = DyIII, TM = [FeIII]LS (2), CoIII (3)}, have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The rare earth ions in these compounds are situated in a slightly distorted triangular dodecahedral (D2d) coordination environment. The magnetic properties of compounds 1-3 have been comparatively studied in detail. Under a zero dc field, the temperature dependence of ac susceptibility measurements for YFe (1) indicates the absence of magnetic relaxation stemming from the single anisotropic [FeIII]LS ion. The dysprosium analogue DyFe (2) shows only magnetic relaxation behavior with a prominent QTM effect, while DyCo (3) exhibits SIM properties not completely covered by QTM, with an extracted energy barrier of 73 K under a zero dc field. The ab initio calculations indicate that both compounds 2 and 3 are SMMs with well-behaved magnetic relaxation properties primarily from the individual DyIII ion. Therefore, the different magnetic behaviors exhibited by compound 2 compared to 3 may be ascribed to the stronger QTM effect caused by the extra weak interaction of [FeIII]LS ions in 2 as a fluctuating transverse field around the DyIII ion. The QTM effect for both 2 and 3 is suppressed under an applied dc field with an effective energy barrier of 134 and 150 K, respectively. Compared with compound 2, the higher extracted Ueff/kB and χ''(T) peak temperature for 3 should be further attributed to its slightly higher single-ion axiality as calculated and the elimination of the transverse field from the [FeIII]LS ion.

In the series of the adducts of tris(alkyl) HoIII complexes, Ho(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2 (1Ho-THF, Me = methyl) can exhibit slow magnetic relaxation under a zero applied direct current (DC) field with the ...

The reactions of LnIII ions with a versatile pyridyl-decorated dicarboxylic acid ligand lead to the formation of a series of novel three-dimensional (3D) Ln-MOFs, [Ln3(pta)4(Hpta)(H2O)]·xH2O (Ln = Dy (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Tb (4), H2pta = 2-(4-pyridyl)-terephthalic acid, x = 6 for 1, 2.5 for 2, 1.5 for 3 and 2 for 4). The Ln3+ ions act as nine-coordinated muffin spheres, linking to each other to generate trinuclear {Ln3(OOC)6N2} SBUs, which are further extended to be interesting 3D topological architectures. To the best of our knowledge, the Dy-MOF exhibits zero-field single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour with the largest effective energy barrier among the previously reported 3D MOF-based Dy-SMMs. The combined analyses of a diluted sample (1@Y) and ab initio calculations demonstrate that the thermally assisted slow relaxation is mainly attributed to the single-ion magnetism. Furthermore, fluorescence measurements reveal that H2pta can sensitize EuIII and TbIII characteristic luminescence.

We herein reported the syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties of three dinuclear heterometallic MIILnIII complexes, namely, [MIILnIII(H2L)(CH3OH)2(NO3)2](NO3)·S (M = Co, Ln = Dy, S = MeOH (1CoDy); M = Zn, Ln = Dy, S = MeOH (2ZnDy); M = Co, Ln = Y, S = MeNO2 (3CoY), H4L = 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis[2-(semicarbazono) propionylhydrazone]. Synthesized from the predesigned multidentate ligand H4L, which has two different coordination pockets (smaller N3O2 and larger N2O4 pockets) suitable for either a 3d or a 4f metal center, all these complexes have very similar structures, where the MII centers possess a pentagonal bipyramidal (PBP) geometry and the LnIII sites have a tetradecahedron geometry. Magnetic measurements on these compounds revealed the existence of weak ferromagnetic coupling between the Co2+ and Dy3+ centers and the field-induced slow magnetic relaxation of all three complexes. Furthermore, theoretical calculation on all these complexes indicates that although the change of the diamagnetic Zn2+ ion to the paramagnetic Co2+ ion only slightly modifies the local magnetic anisotropy of the Dy3+ ion, the weak Co-Dy magnetic interaction decreases the energy barrier. These compounds are the first systematic results of a heterometallic 3d-4f single-molecule magnet containing predesigned PBP 3d metal ions.

Crystallization of two enantiomers Δ-1 and Λ-1 was achieved by using an achiral flexible ligand H4L (2,2′-[1,2-ethanediylbis[(hydroxyethylimino)methylene]]bis[6-methoxy-4-methyl-phenol]). The absol...

Two seven-coordinate cobalt(II) complexes with the molecular formulae [Co(L)(NO3)2(CH3CN)] (L = 2,2′-bipyridine, 1; L = 1,10-phenanthroline, 2) were prepared and magnetically characterized. X-ray single crystal diffraction shows that 1 exhibit the distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry around the central Co(II) ion, similar to 2. Magnetic anisotropies and single-molecule magnet behaviors of 1 and 2 have been studied by direct and alternating current magnetic measurements. The static magnetic data show the easy-plane magnetic anisotropies with positive zero-field splitting D value of 32.9(2) cm−1 for 1 and 31.4(2) cm−1 for 2, which are confirmed by theoretical calculations by CASPT2 and DDCI3 methods. Both 1 and 2 display the field-induced slow magnetic relaxation under 0.1 T applied dc field.

Syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties are described for a series of seven-coordinate dinuclear lanthanide complexes of compositions Dy2 L2 (1) (H3 L=2-{[bis(2-hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzyl)(aminoethyl)amino]methyl}phenol) and Ln2 L2 ⋅MeCN (Ln=Dy (2), Sm (3), Eu (4), Gd (5), Tb (6), Ho (7)). The reaction of Dy(NO3 )3 ⋅6 H2 O with one equivalent of H3 L at 70 °C in DMF/EtOH under autogenous pressure gave compound 1. Complexes 2-7 were prepared by means of the same method as that used for 1, except DMF was replaced by MeCN as the reaction solvent and Dy(NO3 )3 ⋅6 H2 O was changed to the corresponding lanthanide salts. Complexes 1-7 possess the similar Ln2 cores bridged by μ2 -phenoxyl oxygen atoms. The slight difference between 1 and 2-7 arises from the existence of free MeCN molecule in 2-7. The purposeful introduction of solvent MeCN molecule changes the crystal system from triclinic for 1 to monoclinic for 2 and alters the Dy-O-Dy angles and Dy⋅⋅⋅Dy distances, consequentially resulting into dramatic influences on the magnetic properties of 1 and 2. Complex 1 shows no SMM character, while compound 2 with free MeCN molecule exhibits a field-induced slow magnetization relaxation behavior. Complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations were performed on two Dy2 compounds to rationalize the observed difference in the magnetic behavior. Theoretical calculations reveal that the energy gap between the lowest two Kramers doublets of individual DyIII fragment for 2 is higher than those of 1 (1_a and 1_b). This conlusion is consistant with the experimental result that complex 2 exhibits better magnetic properties. This work proposes an ingenious strategy for inducing the SMM behavior in the Dy2 compounds.

Two 1D coordination polymers composed of DyZn2(salen)2 units and pyridin-N-oxide-4-carboxylate have been prepared by solvothermal reactions. Complex 1 with the formula {[DyZn2(La)2(POC)](OH)(ClO4)}·H2O·MeOH [H2La] = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane, POC– = pyridin-N-oxide-4-carboxylate] is composed of a zigzag chain cation [DyZn2(La)2(POC)]n2n+ as well as isolated hydroxide and perchlorate anions. Complex 2 with the formula {[Dy3Zn7(Lb)6(POC)6](OH)3(ClO4)2}·9H2O [H2Lb] = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,2-diaminoethane] is also an ionic compound containing isolated hydroxide and perchlorate anions, but its cation shows a novel nanowire structure, in which six-coordinate zinc(II) ions with C3 symmetry act as the axis and [DyZn2(Lb)2(POC)]2+ structural units as spiral leaves. Complex 1 shows good single-molecule magnet performance with an Ueff/k value of 235.3(3.1) K (Hdc = 0 Oe), one of the largest values for coordination polymers. A butterfly-shaped magnetic hysteresis loop can be monit...

A series of Salen-type Zn(II)–Dy(III) complexes [L1Zn(II)ClDy(III)(acac)2]·H2O (1), [L1Zn(II)BrDy(III)(acac)2]·H2O (2), [L1Zn(II)(H2O)Dy(III)(acac)2]·CH2Cl2·PF6 (3), [L2Zn(II)(H2O)Dy(III)(acac)2]·PF6 (4), and Co(III)–Dy(III) complexes [L1Co(III)Br2Dy(III)(acac)2]·CH2Cl2 (5), [L2Co(III)Cl2Dy(III)(acac)Cl(MeO)] (6), [L2Co(III)Cl2Dy(III)(acac)Cl(H2O)] (7), and [L2Co(III)Cl2Dy(III)(NO3)2(MeO)] (8) heterobinuclear single-molecule magnets (SMMs) were synthesized and magnetically characterized. These complexes were constructed by incorporating diamagnetic Zn(II) and Co(III) ions with acetylacetone (acac) and compartmental Schiff-base ligands (H2L1 = N,N′-bis(2-oxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine; H2L2 = N,N′-bis(2-oxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane). In the Zn(II)–Dy(III) (1–4) system, the coordination environments of the Dy(III) ions are nearly identical, but the apical coordination atom to the Zn(II) ion is different. Complexes 1, 2, and 4 displayed no magnetic relaxation in the absenc...

Crystal structures, single-molecule magnetic behavior, and ab initio calculations of four new phenoxo-bridged dinuclear dysprosium complexes and their gadolinium(III) analogues are explored. Complexes [Dy2 (DMOMP)2 (DBM)4 ]2 ⋅CHCl3 (1; DMOMP=1-methyl-3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzene, DBM=1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-dione); [Dy2 (DMOAP)2 (DBM)4 ]2 ⋅CHCl3 (2; DMOAP=syringaldehyde); Dy2 (DMOEP)2 (DBM)4 (3; DMOEP=methyl syringate); and solvent-free Dy2 (DMOMP)2 (DBM)4 (4), which is obtained by the transformation of single crystal into single crystal from 1, have nearly identical core structures and only differ in the substituents at the para position of the phenol moieties of the bridging ligand. In this system, the electronic effects are efficiently implemented to significantly modify the ligand field strength and exchange coupling by modulating the substituents on the phenol backbone. The effective energy barrier (Ueff ) of magnetization reversal is improved significantly to fivefold magnitude, at most, and the hysteresis temperature up to 3.5 K by deliberately using the electron-withdrawing substituent to replace the electron-donating one. The origin of the two relaxation processes in 1 is mostly attributed to the existence of two molecules in one unit, which is illuminated by means of the transformation of single crystal into single crystal.

A β-diketonate mononuclear dysprosium compound, [Dy(TFNB)3(bpy)] (1) (TFNB = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)-1,3-butanedione, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), has been prepared and structurally and magnetically characterized. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that 1 contains two crystallographically equivalent Dy(III) ions of which the eight-coordinate geometries uniformly behave as distorted square antiprismatic configurations (D4d). Magnetic investigations demonstrate that 1 displays dual relaxation processes of SMMs behavior with the effective barrier (ΔE/kB) of 23.44 K under 1200 Oe DC field, corresponding to the coexistence of two metal centers in the structure of the compound. The comparative studies of some Dy(III)-based SIMs with TFNB ligand have been conducted as well. Ab initio studies demonstrate that the Kramers doublet ground state is predominantly axial with the gz tensors of two Dy(III) fragments matching the Ising-limit factor (20) anticipated for the pure MJ = ±15/2 state.

Two dinuclear dysprosium complexes of formulae [Dy2(L1)2(NO3)2(MeOH)2]·2MeOH (1) and Dy2(L2)2(NO3)2(MeOH)2 (2), (H2L1 = 4-chloro-2-(((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)imino)methyl)phenol, H2L2 = 2-(((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. The two ligands differ in the substituents at the phenol moieties of the ligands. The purposeful exclusion of the functional group –Cl at the phenol backbone significantly changed the geometries of the metal centers, as evidenced by the X-ray crystallographic analysis. In complex 1, two DyIII ions are in D2d local symmetry, while the DyIII ions of 2 are in D4d local symmetry. Consequently, these two complexes demonstrate distinct magnetic properties. Complexes 1 and 2 both exhibit SMM behavior with energy barriers of 51.97 K for 1 and 87.16 K for 2 under a zero direct-current field. Complete-active-space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations were performed on the two Dy2 complexes to rationalize the remarkable observed discrepancy in their magnetic behavior. Theoretical calculations reveal that the angle θ between the magnetic axis and the vector connecting two dysprosium(III) ions is the vital factor for the energy barriers of SMMs. The smaller θ angle of 2 renders it as an SMM with a higher energy barrier. This work demonstrates that tuning the functional groups on the bridging ligands is an effective strategy in modulating the energy barriers of SMMs.

The on–off switching of spin-crossover (SCO) and single-molecule magnetism (SMM) remains highly attractive, especially if it involves dynamic crystal-to-crystal transformation. Herein we report the first molecule, a mononuclear cobalt(II) complex, that exhibits on–off switching between SCO and SMM reversibly during crystal-to-crystal transformation. Subtle structural transformation triggered by a simple dehydration–rehydration process induces significant geometrical changes of the CoII center and modification of the supramolecular interactions and switches its colour and magnetic properties (dark red/SCO-on/SMM-off ↔ orange/SCO-off/SMM-on). This work suggests that modification of the weak supramolecular interactions could be very effective in achieving switchable materials involving both SCO and SMM properties.

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 A). 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.

The first triradical bridged binuclear penta-spin single-molecule magnet, [Dy2(hfac)6(BTR)], based on a nitronyl nitroxide triradical was synthesized and characterized. Theoretical calculations revealed Dy-radical antiferromagnetic coupling and radical-radical ferromagnetic coupling. The SMM behavior is found to originate from the exchange states, rather than the isolated Dy3+ center.