Magnetic Poles Determinations and Robustness of Memory Effect upon Solubilization in a DyIII-Based Single Ion Magnet

Manipulating the Relaxation of Quasi- D4 d Dysprosium Compounds through Alternation of the O-Donor Ligands

Three mononuclear Dy^III complexes with the same auxiliary ligand Lz (2,4-diamino-6-pyridyl-1,3,5-triazine), [Dy(TTA)₃Lz] (1Dy) (TTA = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedionate), [Dy(acac)₃Lz]·CH₃OH·0.5H₂O (2Dy) (acac = acetylacetonate), and [Dy(MQ)₂Lz₂]Br·CH₃OH (3Dy) (HMQ = 2-methyl-8-quinolinol), have been synthesized through alteration of the ligands containing O donors. In all three complexes, the Dy^III ions are eight-coordinate and submitted to pseudo- D_{4 d} symmetry in the first coordination sphere. It is noteworthy that the TTA ligands in 1Dy are easily substituted by other bidentate capping ligands with O donors, leading to distinct magnetic properties, which were studied experimentally and via ab initio calculations. All three complexes were found to exhibit single-molecule magnet behavior with U_eff of 22 cm^-1 (1Dy), 112 cm^-1 (2Dy), and 56 cm^-1 (3Dy) under zero applied dc field. Complex 1Dy demonstrates inferior SIM properties compared with 2Dy and 3Dy, which can be attributed to the strong electron-withdrawing effects of TTA ligands, as confirmed by theoretical calculations. However, butterfly-shaped magnetic hysteresis in 1Dy and 3Dy was observed at 1.9 K, while not in 2Dy.

Advancing Understanding of the +4 Metal Extractant Thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (TTA-); Synthesis and Structure of MIVTTA4 (MIV = Zr, Hf, Ce, Th, U, Np, Pu) and MIII(TTA)4- (MIII = Ce, Nd, Sm, Yb)

Thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA)-based extractions represent popular methods for separating microscopic amounts of transuranic actinides (i.e., Np and Pu) from macroscopic actinide matrixes (e.g. bulk uranium). It is well-established that this procedure enables +4 actinides to be selectively removed from +3, + 5, and +6 f-elements. However, even highly skilled and well-trained researchers find this process complicated and (at times) unpredictable. It is difficult to improve the HTTA extraction-or find alternatives-because little is understood about why this separation works. Even the identities of the extracted species are unknown. In addressing this knowledge gap, we report here advances in fundamental understanding of the HTTA-based extraction. This effort included comparatively evaluating HTTA complexation with +4 and +3 metals (M^IV = Zr, Hf, Ce, Th, U, Np, and Pu vs M^III = Ce, Nd, Sm, and Yb). We observed +4 metals formed neutral complexes of the general formula M^IV(TTA)₄. Meanwhile, +3 metals formed anionic M^III(TTA)₄^- species. Characterization of these M(TTA)₄^x- ( x = 0, 1) compounds by UV-vis-NIR, IR, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (both near-edge and extended fine structure) was critical for determining that Np^IV(TTA)₄ and Pu^IV(TTA)₄ were the primary species extracted by HTTA. Furthermore, this information lays the foundation to begin developing and understanding of why the HTTA extraction works so well. The data suggest that the solubility differences between M^IV(TTA)₄ and M^III(TTA)₄^- are likely a major contributor to the selectivity of HTTA extractions for +4 cations over +3 metals. Moreover, these results will enable future studies focused on explaining HTTA extractions preference for +4 cations, which increases from Np ^IV to Pu^IV, Hf^IV, and Zr^IV.

Single-ion magnets with D4d symmetry based on electron-donating β-diketonate Dy(iii) complexes

Four single-ion magnets based on electron-donating β-diketonate Dy(iii) complexes have been designed and isolated to explore the magnetism–structure relationship.

A series of Ln2 complexes based on an 8-hydroxyquinoline derivative: slow magnetization relaxation and photo-luminescence properties

A series of Ln₂ complexes display slow magnetization relaxation and photo-luminescence properties.

Isotope effects on the spin dynamics of single-molecule magnets probed using muon spin spectroscopy

Subtle isotopic effects on spin dynamics are captured using Muon Spin Relaxation experiments on isotopically enriched Dy-based single molecule magnets.

Syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of cyanide-bridged complexestrans-RuII(dppe)2(CN)2(FeIIIX3)2(X = Cl and Br)

Cyanide-bridged complexestrans-Ru^II(dppe)₂(CN)₂(Fe^IIIX₃)₂(X = Cl,2; X = Br,3) and their parenttrans-ClRu^II(dppe)₂(CN) (1) were synthesized and fully characterized. The magnetic properties of2and3have been investigated.

Modulating single-molecule magnet behavior towards multiple magnetic relaxation processes through structural variation in Dy4 clusters

Three Dy₄ clusters based on a flexible and attractive Schiff base ligand HL have been synthesized, and they showed different tetranuclear core arrangements. Magnetic studies reveal that clusters 1–3 display distinct slow relaxation of magnetization.

An intense luminescent Dy(iii) single-ion magnet with the acylpyrazolonate ligand showing two slow magnetic relaxation processes

A new Dy(iii)-acylpyrazolonate complex displays both intense yellow-light emission and single-ion magnet behavior with two slow magnetic relaxation processes, acting as a potential bifunctional material.

Heteroleptic β-diketonate Ln(iii) complexes decorated with pyridyl substituted pyridazine ligands: synthesis, structure and luminescence properties

A substituted pyridazine acts as a sensitizer in mononuclear heteroleptic Ln(iii) complexes.

trans to cis photo-isomerization in merocyanine dysprosium and yttrium complexes

A unique light-switching behavior is revealed in Yttrium(iii) and Dysprosium(iii) merocyanine complexes through NMR and AC magnetometry experiments. Its impact on slow relaxation of magnetization is described.

Experimental and theoretical interpretation of the magnetic behavior of two Dy(iii) single-ion magnets constructed through β-diketonate ligands with different substituent groups (–Cl/–OCH3)

Two Dy(iii) single-ion magnets, formulated as [Dy(Phen)(Cl-tcpb)₃] (Cl-1) and [Dy(Phen)(CH₃O-tmpd)₃] (CH₃O-2) were obtained through β-diketonate ligands (Cl-tcpb = 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-butanedione and CH₃O-tmpd = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-butanedione) with different substituent groups (–Cl/–OCH₃) and auxiliary ligand, 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen). The Dy(iii) ions in Cl-1 and CH₃O-2 are eight-coordinate, with an approximately square antiprismatic (SAP, D_4d) and trigonal dodecahedron (D_2d) N₂O₆ coordination environment, respectively, in the first coordination sphere. Under zero direct-current (dc) field, magnetic investigations demonstrate that both Cl-1 and CH₃O-2 display dynamic magnetic relaxation of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior with different effective barriers (U_eff) of 105.4 cm⁻¹ (151.1 K) for Cl-1 and 132.5 cm⁻¹ (190.7 K) for CH₃O-2, respectively. As noted, compound CH₃O-2 possesses a higher effective barrier than Cl-1. From ab initio calculations, the energies of the first excited state (KD₁) are indeed close to the experimental U_eff as 126.7 cm⁻¹vs. 105.4 cm⁻¹ for Cl-1 and 152.8 cm⁻¹vs. 132.5 cm⁻¹ for CH₃O-2. The order of the calculated energies of KD₁ is same as that of the experimental U_eff. The superior SIM properties of CH₃O-2 could have originated from the larger axial electrostatic potential (ESP_(ax)) felt by the central Dy(iii) ion when compared with Cl-1. The larger ESP_(ax) of CH₃O-2 arises from synergic effects of the more negative charge and shorter Dy–O distances of the axial O atoms of the first sphere. These charges and distances could be influenced by functional groups outside the first sphere, e.g., –Cl and –OCH₃.

Further studies from the viewpoint of electrostatic potential demonstrate that the larger axial electrostatic potential (ESP) felt by the central Dy (iii) ion of CH₃O-2 is responsible for its better SIM property when compared with Cl-1.

Selective signalling of glyphosate in water using europium luminescence

Selective sensing of glyphosate in the micromolar regime in water.

Axial Ligand Field in D4d Coordination Symmetry: Magnetic Relaxation of Dy SMMs Perturbed by Counteranions

A series of mononuclear Dy^III complexes with the general formula [DyLz₂(salicylaldehyde)₂]·X·solvent (Lz = 6-pyridin-2-yl[1,3,5]triazine-2,4-diamine; X = OH^- (1·OH), Cl^- (2·Cl), Br^- (3·Br)) have been synthesized using mixed salicylaldehyde/pyridinyl-triazine ligands and discriminative counteranions. The Dy^III ion in these three complexes resides in a similar D_4d coordination geometry with counteranions perturbing the coordination environment and bond lengths and angles in the lattice. Magnetostructural studies reveal that the asymmetric distribution of salicylaldehyde/pyridinyl-triazine ligands and the presence of discriminative counteranions result in the coexistence of large anisotropy and quantum tunneling of magnetization. The magnetic anisotropy is dominated by the axial ligand field with short Dy-O_sali distances and large ∠O_sali-Dy-O_sali angles, while the quantum tunneling relaxation is probably dictated by the π-π stacking of the Lz ligands, which induces an axial constriction of the coordinating plane. Ab initio calculations substantiate the diversity of the magnetic behaviors in these complexes and highlight the importance of axial ligand field with short Dy-O_sali distances, large ∠O_sali-Dy-O_sali angles and less ligand stacking in these pseudo-D_4d-symmetrical single-molecule magnets.

Lanthanide complexes involving multichelating TTF-based ligands

The TTF-based skeleton could be alkylated with either the di(pyrazol-1-yl)-4-pyridyl (L1) or dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (L2) to design multichelating ligands. The ([Yb₂(hfac)₆(L1)]·2(CH₂Cl₂)·C₆H₁₄ (1) and [Ln₂(hfac)₆(L2)]·CH₂Cl₂ (Ln = Yb (2) and Dy (3)) complexes which display either SMM behaviour with the hysteresis loop at 0.5 K or multi-NIR emissions.

Isotopically enriched polymorphs of dysprosium single molecule magnets

The magnetic memory effect of mononuclear Dy^III-based single molecule magnets can be tuned by playing with polymorphism as well as isotopic enrichment.

Cis-trans isomerism modulates the magnetic relaxation of dysprosium single-molecule magnets

Geometry and magnetic relaxation modulations in a series of mononuclear dysprosium complexes, [DyLz₂(o-vanilin)₂]·X·solvent (Lz = 6-pyridin-2-yl-[1,3,5]triazine-2,4-diamine; X = Br^- (1), NO₃^- (2), CF₃SO₃^- (3)), were realized by changing the nature of the counter-anion. The Dy^III ions in all complexes are eight-coordinate and in approximate D_4d symmetry environments. The magnetic relaxation and anisotropy of these complexes were systematically investigated, both experimentally and from ab initio calculations. All complexes exhibit excellent single-molecule magnetic behavior. Remarkably, magneto-structural studies show that the rotation of the coordinating plane of the square-antiprismatic environment in complex 2 induces a magnetic relaxation path through higher excited states, yielding a high anisotropy barrier of 615 K (696 K for a diluted sample). Additionally, obvious opening of the hysteresis loop is observed up to 7 K, which is the highest blocking temperature ever reported for dysprosium single-molecule magnets.

Induced europium CPL for the selective signalling of phosphorylated amino-acids and O-phosphorylated hexapeptides

Circularly polarised luminescence signals selectively the binding of a range of chiral phosphorylated molecules.

Improved slow magnetic relaxation in optically pure helicene-based DyIII single molecule magnets

Racemic and optically pure [Dy(hfac)₃(L)] complexes with L = 3-(2-pyridyl)-4-aza[6]-helicene have been synthesized and characterized.

Dysprosium(iii) complexes with a square-antiprism configuration featuring mononuclear single-molecule magnetic behaviours based on different β-diketonate ligands and auxiliary ligands

Three mononuclear SMMs derived from three β-diketonate ligands and auxiliary ligands have been synthesized.

Lanthanide ion and tetrathiafulvalene-based ligand as a "magic" couple toward luminescence, single molecule magnets, and magnetostructural correlations

The synthesis of molecules featuring different properties is a perpetual challenge for the chemists' community. The coexistence and even more the synergy of those properties open new perspectives in the field of molecular devices and molecular electronics. In that sense, coordination chemistry contributed to the development of new functional molecules through, for instance, single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and light emitting molecules with potential applications in high capacity data storage and OLEDs, respectively. The appealing combination of both electronic properties into one single object may offer the possibility to have magnetized luminescent entities at nanometric scale. To that end, lanthanides seem to be one of the key ingredients since their peculiar electronic structures endow them with specific magnetic and luminescence properties. Indeed, lanthanides cover a wide range of emission wavelengths, from infrared to UV, which add up to a large variety of magnetic behaviors, from the fully isotropic spin (e.g., Gd(III)) to highly anisotropic magnetic moments (e.g., Dy(III)). In lanthanide complexes, ligands play a fundamental role because on one hand they govern the orientation of the magnetic moment of anisotropic lanthanides and on the other hand they can sensitize efficiently the luminescence. The design of appropriate organic ligands to elaborate such chemical objects with the desired property appears to be essential but remains a perpetual challenge. In this Account, we describe the design of lanthanide-based complexes that emit light, behave as SMMs, or combine both properties. We have paid peculiar attention to the design of ligands based on the tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) moiety. TTF and its derivatives are well-known chemical entities, stable at different oxidation states, and employed mainly in the synthesis of molecular conductors and superconductors. In addition to their redox properties, TTF-based derivatives act as organic chromophores for the sensitization of visible and near-infrared (NIR) luminescence of lanthanides. The mechanism of sensitization involves either antenna effect (energy transfer from the excited state) or photoinduced electron transfer. TTF-based ligands act also as structural agents in the conception of SMM in crystals. Such objects are obtained with the highly anisotropic Dy(III) ion in crystalline phase as well as in frozen solution with magnetic memory at helium-4 temperature (4 K). We highlight the influence of the magnetic dilution (both in amorphous solution and in diamagnetic crystalline matrix) and, particular case of dysprosium based SMMs, the effect of metal-centered isotope enrichment on the SMM properties. Our aim is not only to realize functional molecules but to rationalize both luminescence and magnetic properties on the basis of the structure of the molecules. These two properties are intimately intricate and governed by the electronic structure, which can be calculated and interpreted using modern quantum chemistry tools.

Molcas 8: New capabilities for multiconfigurational quantum chemical calculations across the periodic table

In this report, we summarize and describe the recent unique updates and additions to the Molcas quantum chemistry program suite as contained in release version 8. These updates include natural and spin orbitals for studies of magnetic properties, local and linear scaling methods for the Douglas-Kroll-Hess transformation, the generalized active space concept in MCSCF methods, a combination of multiconfigurational wave functions with density functional theory in the MC-PDFT method, additional methods for computation of magnetic properties, methods for diabatization, analytical gradients of state average complete active space SCF in association with density fitting, methods for constrained fragment optimization, large-scale parallel multireference configuration interaction including analytic gradients via the interface to the Columbus package, and approximations of the CASPT2 method to be used for computations of large systems. In addition, the report includes the description of a computational machinery for nonlinear optical spectroscopy through an interface to the QM/MM package Cobramm. Further, a module to run molecular dynamics simulations is added, two surface hopping algorithms are included to enable nonadiabatic calculations, and the DQ method for diabatization is added. Finally, we report on the subject of improvements with respects to alternative file options and parallelization.

A half-sandwich organometallic single-ion magnet with hexamethylbenzene coordinated to the Dy(III) ion

A half-sandwich organolanthanide complex, [(C6Me6)Dy(AlCl4)3], in which Dy(III) is coordinated with a π-bonded arene was synthesized and magnetically characterized. This complex displays slow magnetic relaxation and a hysteresis loop associated with single-ion magnet behavior. The orientation of the magnetic anisotropy axis is analyzed using ab initio calculations.

Does the thermal evolution of molecular structures critically affect the magnetic anisotropy?

In the absence of a critical phase transition, one can safely use the crystal structure information determined at liquid nitrogen temperature in magnetic anisotropy research.

A dysprosium based single-ion magnet is synthesized and characterized by the angular dependence of the single-crystal magnetic susceptibility. Ab initio and effective electrostatic analyses are performed using the molecular structures determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction at 20 K, 100 K and 300 K. Contrary to the common assumption, the results reveal that the structural thermal effects that may affect the energy level scheme and magnetic anisotropy below 100 K are negligible.

Luminescence and single-molecule magnet behavior in lanthanide complexes involving a tetrathiafulvalene-fused dipyridophenazine ligand

The reaction between the TTF-fused dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz) ligand (L) and 1 equiv of Ln(hfac)3·2H2O (hfac(-) = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetyacetonate) or 1 equiv of Ln(tta)3·2H2O (tta(-) = 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) (Ln(III) = Dy(III) or Yb(III)) metallic precursors leads to four mononuclear complexes of formula [Ln(hfac)3(L)]·C6H14 (Ln(III) = Dy(III) (1), Yb(III) (2)) and [Ln(tta)3(L)]·C6H14 (Ln(III) = Dy(III) (3), Yb(III) (4)), respectively. Their X-ray structures reveal that the Ln(III) ion is coordinated to the bischelating nitrogenated coordination site and adopts a D4d coordination environment. The dynamic magnetic measurements show a slow relaxation of the Dy(III) magnetization for 1 and 3 with parameters highlighting a slower relaxation for 3 than for 1 (τ0 = 4.14(±1.36) × 10(-6) and 1.32(±0.07) × 10(-6) s with Δ = 39(±3) and 63.7(±0.7) K). This behavior as well as the orientation of the associated magnetic anisotropy axes have been rationalized on the basis of both crystal field splitting parameters and ab initio SA-CASSCF/RASSI-SO calculations. Irradiation of the lowest-energy HOMO → LUMO ILCT absorption band induces a (2)F5/2 → (2)F7/2 Yb-centered emission for 2 and 4. For these Yb(III) compounds, Stevens operators method has been used to fit the thermal variation of the magnetic susceptibilities, and the resulting MJ splittings have been correlated with the emission lines.