Search

Launching a startup company is like synthesizing a new molecule. There is a starting point and a general concept for how to achieve the desired end. Known steps may be taken, but a successful synthesis is rarely the result of the original plan and relies on perseverance and creativity. If done well, the starting molecule (idea) gives rise to a new final product (business). Having personally lived these journeys, the authors of this viewpoint distilled their combined experiences into relevant topics for scientific entrepreneurs. This viewpoint is not a how-to guide for launching a startup. Instead, relatable personal insights and potential best practices are shared to catalyze discussions around a topic of growing relevance to both the polymer community and workforce of the future.

Theoretical studies suggest that mastering the thermocurrent through single molecules can lead to thermoelectric energy harvesters with unprecedentedly high efficiencies. 1-6 This can be achieved by engineering molecule length, 7 optimizing the tunnel coupling strength of molecules via chemical anchor groups 8 or by creating localized states in the backbone with resulting quantum interference features. 4 Empirical verification of these predictions, however, faces considerable experimental challenges and is still awaited. Here we use a novel measurement protocol that simultaneously probes the conductance and thermocurrent flow as a function of bias voltage and gate voltage. We find that the resulting thermocurrent is strongly asymmetric with respect to the gate voltage, with evidence of molecular excited states in the thermocurrent Coulomb diamond maps. These features can be reproduced by a rate-equation model only if it accounts for both the vibrational coupling and the electronic degeneracies, thus giving direct insight into the interplay of electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom, and the role of spin entropy in single molecules. Overall these results show that thermocurrent measurements can be used as a spectroscopic tool to access molecule-specific quantum transport phenomena.

We present the design, synthesis and magnetic properties of molecular magnetic systems that contain all elements necessary for spin-valve control in molecular spintronic devices in a single molecule. We investigate the static and dynamic magnetic properties and quantum spin properties of butadiyne-linked homo- and hetero-nuclear lanthanide-porphyrin dimers. A heterometallated porphyrin dimer containing both Tb III and Dy III centres is created rationally by the stepwise oxidative homocoupling of distinct lanthanide-porphyrin monomers. Tb III and Dy III mononuclear porphyrin complexes, homodimers and heterodimers all exhibit slow magnetic relaxation below 10 kelvin under a static magnetic field. The coherence times for Gd III porphyrin monomers and dimers are found to be in excess of 3.0 μs at 2 K, allowing distinct magnetic manipulations in low temperature transport experiments.

Coupling between a crystal of di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium radicals and a superconducting microwave resonator is investigated in a circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED) architecture. The crystal exhibits paramagnetic behavior above 4 K, with antiferromagnetic correlations appearing below this temperature, and we demonstrate strong coupling at base temperature. The magnetic resonance acquires a field angle dependence as the crystal is cooled down, indicating anisotropy of the exchange interactions. These results show that multispin modes in organic crystals are suitable for circuit QED, offering a platform for their coherent manipulation. They also utilize the circuit QED architecture as a way to probe spin correlations at low temperature.

The preparation of η-cyclopentadienyl (η 5 -C 5 R 5 ), η-arene (η 6 -C 6 R 6 ), and η-cyclooctatetraenyl (η 8 -C 8 R 8 ) bridging motifs are common in organometallic chemistry; however, the synthetic preparation of η-cycloheptatrienyl (η 7 -C 7 R 7 ) bridging motifs has remained a synthetic challenge in 4f chemistry. To this end, we have developed a synthetic route towards a series of rare dinuclear organolanthanide inverse sandwich complexes containing the elusive η 7 -C 7 H 7 bridge. Herein, we present the structures and magnetic properties of the lanthanide inverse sandwich complexes [KLn 2 (C 7 H 7 )(N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ) 4 ] (Ln = Gd III ( 1 ), Dy III ( 2 ), Er III ( 3 )) and [K(THF) 2 Er 2 (C 7 H 7 )(N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ) 4 ] ( 4 ). These compounds are the first single-molecule magnets (SMMs) to feature this type of bridging motif. Furthermore, η 7 -C 7 H 7 was found to efficiently promote ferromagnetic exchange interactions between metal ions. Variable temperature dc magnetic susceptibility measurements and subsequent simulations give significant exchange constants of J = +1.384, +1.798, and +3.149 cm -1 and dipolar constants of J = -0.603, -0.601, and -0.475 cm -1 for compounds 2-4 , respectively. Frequency dependent ac susceptibility measurements under an applied static field resulted in the observation of dual relaxation processes, and brought forth a greater understanding of the intermolecularly driven process at high frequency. In particular, this type of analysis of compound 3 under 800 Oe elicited an energy barrier of U eff = 58 K. Ab initio calculations were performed in order to understand the nature of magnetic coupling and the origin of slow relaxation of magnetisation. Through these studies, the effect of the amido ancillary ligands on the magnetic axiality of the lanthanide ions was found to be competitive with the crystal field of the η 7 -C 7 H 7 π-electron cloud. Our findings suggest that the tunability of the dipolar and exchange components of the magnetic interactions lie within the dihedral angle imposed by the amido ligands, thus offering potential for the development of new exchange coupled lanthanide systems.

The new tridentate ligand, S(Me)N(H)S = 2-(2-methylthiophenyl)benzothiazolidine, prepared in a single step from commercial precursors in excellent yield, undergoes ring-opening on treatment with Fe(OTf)2 in the presence of base affording a trinuclear iron complex, [Fe3(μ2-S(Me)NS(-))4](OTf)2 (1) which is fully characterized by structural and spectroscopic methods. X-ray structural data reveal that 1 contains four S(Me)NS(-) ligands meridionally bound to two pseudooctahedral iron centers each bridged by two thiolates to a distorted tetrahedral central iron. The combined spectroscopic (UV-vis, Mössbauer, NMR), magnetic (solution and solid state), and computational (DFT) studies indicate that 1 includes a central, high-spin Fe(II) (S = 2) with two low-spin (S = 0) peripheral Fe(II) centers. Complex 1 reacts with excess PMePh2, CNxylyl (2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide), and P(OMe)3 in CH3CN to form diamagnetic, thiolate-bridged, dinuclear Fe(II) complexes {[Fe(μ-S(Me)NS(-))L2]2}(OTf)2 (2-4). These complexes are characterized by elemental analysis; (1)H NMR, IR, UV-vis, and Mössbauer spectroscopy; and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, addition of excess P(OMe)3 to complex 1 in CH2Cl2 produces primarily the diamagnetic, mononuclear Fe(II) complex, {Fe(S(Me)NS(-))[P(OMe)3]3}(OTf) (5).

Inverse sandwich biphenyl complexes [(NN(TBS))Ln]2(μ-biphenyl)[K(solvent)]2 [NN(TBS) = 1,1'-fc(NSi(t)BuMe2)2; Ln = Gd, Dy, Er; solvent = Et2O, toluene; 18-crown-6], containing a quadruply reduced biphenyl ligand, were synthesized and their magnetic properties measured. One of the dysprosium biphenyl complexes was found to exhibit antiferromagnetic coupling and single-molecule-magnet behavior with Ueff of 34 K under zero applied field. The solvent coordinated to potassium affected drastically the nature of the magnetic interaction, with the other dysprosium complex showing ferromagnetic coupling. Ab initio calculations were performed to understand the nature of magnetic coupling between the two lanthanide ions bridged by the anionic arene ligand and the origin of single-molecule-magnet behavior.

A chromium complex [2-(NHCH2PPh2)C5H4N]CrCl3·THF2 (1) of the ligand PyNHCH2PPh2 has been synthesized, characterized, and examined for its catalytic behavior toward ethylene oligomerization. When complex 1 was treated with (i-Bu)3Al, an unprecedented divalent polyhydride chromium cluster μ,κ(1),κ(2),κ(3)-N,N,P-{[2-(NCH2PPh2)C5H4N]Cr(μ-H)}4[(μ-Cl)Cr(μ-Cl)Al(i-Bu)2Cl]2 (2) was obtained. The complex contains a Cr4H4 core, which is expected to be diamagnetic, and which remains coordinated to two additional divalent high-spin Cr atoms via bridging interactions. Two aluminate residues remain bonded to the peripheral chromium atoms. The structure, magnetism, and electronic configuration are herein discussed.

Two different coupling strategies were employed to create Er(III) single-molecule magnets (SMMs) using high blocking temperature mononuclear precursors. The magnetic properties of three lanthanide-COT complexes, [Er(III)2(COT'')3] (1) (COT'' = 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclooctatetraenyl dianion) and K2(THF)4[Ln(III)2(COT)4] (Ln = Gd (2), Er (3); THF = tetrahydrofuran, COT = cyclooctatetraenyl dianion), are reported. Both Er(III) complexes behave as SMMs and exhibit magnetic hysteresis at 12 K in solid state. In solution compound 1 exhibits hysteresis up to 14 K. Ac susceptibility data indicates a 100 s blocking temperature of 12.5 and 12.9 K for [Er(III)2(COT'')3] and K2(THF)4[Er(III)2(COT)4], respectively. Both Er(III) dimers display enhanced SMM properties over their mononuclear analogues due to their linear structure and strictly axial anisotropy. A 4 K increase in the magnetic blocking temperature of [Er(III)2(COT'')3] over the double-decker analogue is attributed to an additional mechanism of magnetization blocking arising from exchange coupling between Er(III) ions.

Remanence and coercivity are the basic characteristics of permanent magnets. They are also tightly correlated with the existence of long relaxation times of magnetization in a number of molecular complexes, called accordingly single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Up to now, hysteresis loops with large coercive fields have only been observed in polynuclear metal complexes and metal-radical SMMs. On the contrary, mononuclear complexes, called single-ion magnets (SIM), have shown hysteresis loops of butterfly/phonon bottleneck type, with negligible coercivity, and therefore with much shorter relaxation times of magnetization. A mononuclear Er(III) complex is presented with hysteresis loops having large coercive fields, achieving 7000 Oe at T=1.8 K and field variation as slow as 1 h for the entire cycle. The coercivity persists up to about 5 K, while the hysteresis loops persist to 12 K. Our finding shows that SIMs can be as efficient as polynuclear SMMs, thus opening new perspectives for their applications., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Magnet-like behaviour, in the form of slow relaxation of the magnetization, was observed for a monometallic cerium(III) sandwich complex. The use of trimethylsilyl substituted COT ligands (COT'') led to the formation of a staggered COT'' arrangement in the cerocene-type sandwich complex with a well-defined oxidation state of +3 for the Ce ion.

A mononuclear Er(III) sandwich type complex, [Li(DME)3][Er(III)(COT")2], was isolated using 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclooctatetraenyl dianion (COT"). Remarkably, this low-symmetry complex exhibits magnet-like behavior of magnetic remanence and coercivity in the hysteresis loops up to 8 K with an energy barrier (Ueff) of 187(1) K, thus making this molecule a unique single-ion magnet.

One-electron oxidation or reduction of the paramagnetic dinuclear Co(II) complex dmp2Nin{Co[N(SiMe3)2]}2 (1; dmp2Nin(2-) = bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)nindigo), by fully reversible chemical or electrochemical methods, generates the radical salts [1(OEt2)](+) and [1](-), respectively. Full structural and magnetic analyses reveal the locus of the redox changes to be nindigo-based, thus giving rise to ligand-centered radicals sandwiched between two paramagnetic and low-coordinate Co(II) centers. The presence of these sandwiched radicals mediates magnetic coupling between the high-spin (S = 3/2) cobalt ions, which gives rise to single-molecule magnet (SMM) activity in both the oxidized ([1(OEt2)](+)) and reduced ([1](-)) states. This feature represents the first example of a SMM exhibiting fully reversible, dual "ON/OFF" switchability in both the cathodic and anodic states.

The two-coordinate cationic Ni(I) bis-N-heterocyclic carbene complex [Ni(6-Mes)2]Br (1) [6-Mes =1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene] has been structurally characterized and displays a highly linear geometry with a C-Ni-C angle of 179.27(13)°. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the five occupied metal-based orbitals are split in an approximate 2:1:2 pattern. Significant magnetic anisotropy results from this orbital degeneracy, leading to single-ion magnet (SIM) behavior.

A family of well-defined Fe(II) complexes of the type {BnN(N-CH2(CH2)n-N'-tert-butyl-imidazole-2-ylidene)2}FeCl2 (Bn = benzyl; n = 1 (1) or 2 (2)), {BnN(N-CH2(CH2)n-N'-methylbenzimidazole-2-ylidene)2}FeCl2 (n = 1 (3) or 2 (4)) and {BnN(N-CH2CH2CH2-N'-methylbenzimidazole-2-ylidene)2}FeBr2 (5) has been synthesized. These complexes are rare examples of Fe species supported by bidentate NHC ligands. Complexes 2, 3, 4 and 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and in all cases a distorted tetrahedral geometry is observed around the Fe center. The magnetic data is consistent with the complexes containing non interacting high spin Fe(II) centers (S = 2) and indicates that a large zero-field splitting (D) is present. The new complexes are highly active pre-catalysts for the homo-coupling of Grignard reagents.

An organometallic building block strategy was employed to investigate the magnetic properties of a Ln(III) organometallic single-ion magnet (SIM) and subsequent single-molecule magnet (SMM) after coupling two of the monomeric units. New homoleptic Dy(III)COT″2 and Ln(III)2COT″3 (Ln = Gd, Dy) complexes have been synthesized. DFT calculations of the bimetallic Dy(III) complex indicate strong metal-ligand covalency and uneven donation to the Dy(III) ions by the terminal and internal COT″(2-) (cyclooctatetraenide) rings that correlate with the respective bond distances. Interestingly, the studies also point to a weak covalent interaction between the metal centers, despite a large separation. The ac susceptibility data indicates that both Dy(III)COT″2 and Dy(III)2COT″3 act as an SIM and an SMM, respectively, with complex multiple relaxation mechanisms. Ab initio calculations reveal the direction of the magnetic anisotropic axis is not perpendicular to the planar COT″ rings for both Dy(III)COT″2 and Dy(III)2COT″3 complexes due to the presence of trimethylsilyl groups on the COT″ rings. If these bulky groups are removed, the calculations predict reorientation of the anisotropic axis can be achieved.

Reduction of the dinuclear Co(II) nindigo complex dmp(2)Nin[Co(N{SiMe(3)}(2))](2), with 1 or 2 equiv. of K(0) (or KC(8)), affords the reduced complexes [dmp(2)Nin{Co(N{SiMe(3)}(2))}(2)](-) and [dmp(2)Nin{Co(N{SiMe(3)}(2))}(2)](2-), respectively. Inspection of these reduced species reveals ligand-centered reduction, with each cobalt ion retaining a formal 2+ oxidation state.

A tetralithio salt (1) derived by treating 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-cyclooctatriene with (n)BuLi serves as the first structural evidence for a multi-alkali metallocene. Single-crystal XRD confirms two Li(+) each asymmetrically bind to η(3) and η(4) between two COT'' rings and two Li(+) terminally bind to η(3). Solid-state NMR studies confirm the presence of two distinct lithium ion sites while the solution NMR studies suggest the formation of an (COT'' dianion) ion-pair in solution. Further treating of the tetralithio salt with NaCl leads to linear sodium polymeric chains. Therefore, simply changing the ionic radius changes the molecular structure.

A dysprosium(III) sandwich complex, [Dy(III)(COT″)(2)Li(THF)(DME)], was synthesized using 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclooctatetraenyl dianion (COT″). The complex behaves as a single-ion magnet and demonstrates unusual multiple relaxation modes. The observed relaxation pathways strongly depend on the applied static dc fields., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)