Ferromagnetic Interaction in an Asymmetric End-to-End Azido Double-Bridged Copper(II) Dinuclear Complex: A Combined Structure, Magnetic, Polarized Neutron Diffraction and Theoretical Study

Polarized Neutron Diffraction: An Excellent Tool to Evidence the Magnetic Anisotropy—Structural Relationships in Molecules

This publication reviews recent advances in polarized neutron diffraction (PND) studies of magnetic anisotropy in coordination compounds comprising d or f elements and having different nuclearities. All these studies illustrate the extent to which PND can provide precise and direct information on the relationship between molecular structure and the shape and axes of magnetic anisotropy of the individual metal sites. It makes this experimental technique (PND) an excellent tool to help in the design of molecular-based magnets and especially single-molecule magnets for which strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is required.

Mag2Pol: a program for the analysis of spherical neutron polarimetry, flipping ratio and integrated intensity data

Mag2Pol is a graphical user interface program which is devoted to the treatment of data from polarized neutron diffractometers with spherical polarization analysis. Nuclear and magnetic structure models can be introduced using space-group symbols and individual symmetry operators, respectively, and viewed in an OpenGL widget. The program calculates nuclear/magnetic structure factors, flipping ratios and polarization matrices for magnetic Bragg reflections, taking into account structural twins and magnetic domains. Spherical neutron polarimetry data can be analyzed by refining a magnetic structure model including magnetic domain populations in a least-squares fit and can also be correlated with an integrated intensity data set in a joint refinement. Further features are the simultaneous refinement of nuclear and magnetic structures with integrated intensity data and the analysis of flipping ratios either with tabulated magnetic form factors or using a multipole expansion of the magnetization density.

Twisting induces ferromagnetism in homometallic clusters

A helical chiral cluster bridging two sets of Cu₂ units is reported. The two double-stranded ligands induce a distorted tetrahedral environment for one of the two copper(ii) ions whereas the second one remains in a standard octahedral environment. Magnetic measurements and wavefunction calculations demonstrate that the copper(ii) centres are ferromagnetically coupled (J = 7.7 cm^-1). This ligand-driven ferromagnetic interaction thus appears as a proof-of-concept of an innovative strategy towards high-spin clusters.

Insights on spin delocalization and spin polarization mechanisms in crystals of azido copper(II) dinuclear complexes through the electron spin density Source Function

The Source Function (SF) tool was applied to the analysis of thetheoreticalspin density in azido CuIIdinuclear complexes, where the azido group, acting as a coupler between the CuIIcations, is linked to the metal centres either in an end-on or in an end–end fashion. Results for only the former structural arrangement are reported in the present paper. The SF highlights to which extent the magnetic centres contribute to determine the local spin delocalization and polarization at any point in the dimetallic complex and whether an atom or group of atoms of the ligands act in favour or against a given local spin delocalization/polarization. Ball-and-stick atomic SF percentage representations allow for a visualization of the magnetic pathways and of the specific role played by each atom along these paths, at given reference points. Decomposition of SF contributions in terms of a magnetic and of a relaxation component provides further insight. Reconstruction of partial spin densities by means of the Source Function has for the first time been introduced. At variance with the standard SF percentage representations, such reconstructions offer a simultaneous view of the sources originating from specific subsets of contributing atoms, in a selected molecular plane or in the whole space, and are therefore particularly informative. The SF tool is also used to evaluate the accuracy of the analysed spin densities. It is found that those obtained at the unrestricted B3LYP DFT level, relative to those computed at the CASSCF(6,6) level, greatly overestimate spin delocalization to the ligands, but comparatively underestimate magnetic connection (spin transmission) among atoms, along the magnetic pathways. As a consequence of its excessive spin delocalization, the UB3LYP method also overestimates spin polarization mechanisms between the paramagnetic centres and the ligands. Spin delocalization measures derived from the refinement of Polarized Neutron Diffraction data seem in general superior to those obtained through the DFT UB3LYP approach and closer to the far more accurate CASSCF results. It is also shown that a visual agreement on the spin-resolved electron densities ραand ρβderived from different approaches does not warrant a corresponding agreement between their associated spin densities.

Both end-on and end-to-end azide bridged tetranuclear ferromagnetic nickel(ii) Schiff base complexes

Variable temperature magnetic measurement of a tetranuclear nickel(ii) complex, consisting of two pseudo-dinuclear entities, indicates the presence of intra- and inter-dinuclear ferromagnetic interactions, corroborated by DFT calculations.

Modelling the experimental electron density: only the synergy of various approaches can tackle the new challenges

Electron density is a fundamental quantity that enables understanding of the chemical bonding in a molecule or in a solid and the chemical/physical property of a material. Because electrons have a charge and a spin, two kinds of electron densities are available. Moreover, because electron distribution can be described in momentum or in position space, charge and spin density have two definitions and they can be observed through Bragg (for the position space) or Compton (for the momentum space) diffraction experiments, using X-rays (charge density) or polarized neutrons (spin density). In recent years, we have witnessed many advances in this field, stimulated by the increased power of experimental techniques. However, an accurate modelling is still necessary to determine the desired functions from the acquired data. The improved accuracy of measurements and the possibility to combine information from different experimental techniques require even more flexibility of the models. In this short review, we analyse some of the most important topics that have emerged in the recent literature, especially the most thought-provoking at the recent IUCr general meeting in Montreal.

First spin-resolved electron distributions in crystals from combined polarized neutron and X-ray diffraction experiments

Since the 1980s it has been possible to probe crystallized matter, thanks to X-ray or neutron scattering techniques, to obtain an accurate charge density or spin distribution at the atomic scale. Despite the description of the same physical quantity (electron density) and tremendous development of sources, detectors, data treatment software etc., these different techniques evolved separately with one model per experiment. However, a breakthrough was recently made by the development of a common model in order to combine information coming from all these different experiments. Here we report the first experimental determination of spin-resolved electron density obtained by a combined treatment of X-ray, neutron and polarized neutron diffraction data. These experimental spin up and spin down densities compare very well with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and also confirm a theoretical prediction made in 1985 which claims that majority spin electrons should have a more contracted distribution around the nucleus than minority spin electrons. Topological analysis of the resulting experimental spin-resolved electron density is also briefly discussed.