Capping N‐Donor Ligands Modulate the Magnetic Dynamics of DyIII β‐Diketonate Single‐Ion Magnets with D4d Symmetry.

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 N2O6 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. Cap variations: A combination of electron‐donating β‐diketonate ligands and different capping N‐donor coligands led to a family of four mononuclear DyIII complexes exhibiting nearly identical D4d symmetry but differing magnetic dynamics, which were elucidated by a combination of magnetic investigations and ab initio calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]