Supramolecular Approach for Enhancing Single-Molecule Magnet Properties of Terbium(III)-Phthalocyaninato Double-Decker Complexes with Crown Moieties

Selective Transition Enhancement in a g-Engineered Diradical

A diradical with engineered g-asymmetry was synthesized by grafting a nitroxide radical onto the [Y(Pc)2]⋅ radical platform. Various spectroscopic techniques and computational studies revealed that the electronic structures of the two spin systems remained minimally affected within the diradical system. Fluid-solution Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiments revealed a weak exchange coupling with |J| ~ 0.014 cm-1, subsequently rationalized by CAS-SCF calculations. Frozen solution continuous-wave (CW) EPR experiments showed a complicated and power-dependent spectrum that eluded analysis using the point-dipole model. Pulse EPR manipulations with varying microwave powers, or under varying magnetic fields, demonstrated that different resonances could be selectively enhanced or suppressed, based on their different tipping angles. In particular, Field-Swept Echo-Detected (FSED) spectra revealed absorptions of MW power-dependent intensities, while Field-Swept Spin Nutation (FSSN) experiments revealed two distinct Rabi frequencies. This study introduces a methodology to synthesize and characterize g-asymmetric two-spin systems, of interest in the implementation of spin-based CNOT gates.

Spin dynamics phenomena of a cerium(III) double-decker complex induced by intramolecular electron transfer

Switchable spin dynamic properties in single-molecule magnets (SMMs) via an applied stimulus have applications in single-molecule devices. Many SMMs containing heavy lanthanoid ions with strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy have been reported to exhibit SMM characteristics in the absence of an external magnetic field. On the other hand, SMMs containing light lanthanoid cerium(III) (Ce3+) ions exhibit field-induced slow magnetic relaxation. We investigated the chemical conversion of a diamagnetic Ce4+ ion (4f0) to a paramagnetic Ce3+ ion (4f1) in Ce-phthalocyaninato double-decker complexes (TBA+[Ce(obPc)2]- (1) and TBA+[Ce(Pc)2]- (2)) which exhibit field-induced SMM behaviour due to a 4f1 system. The phthalocyaninato ligands with electron-donating substituents (obPc2- = 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octabutoxyphthalocyaninato) in 1 have a significant effect on the valence state of the Ce ion, which is reflected in its magnetic properties due to the mixed valence state of the Ce ion. Given that Ce double-decker complexes with π-conjugated ligands undergo intramolecular electron transfer (IET) to the Ce ion mixed valence state, characterised by a mixture of 4f0 and 4f1 configurations, we examined the dynamic disorder inherent in IET influencing magnetic relaxation.

Unexpected Supramolecular-Induced Redox Switching in Sandwich Gd Bisphthalocyaninate

The redox state of the phthalocyanine in sandwich lanthanide complexes is crucial for their applications. In this work, we demonstrate that the cation-induced supramolecular assembly of crown-substituted phthalocyanine lanthanide complexes Ln[(15C5)4Pc]2 can be used to control the redox state of the ligand simultaneously with the coordination sphere of the central metal. We achieve unprecedented redox switching of phthalocyanine ligands in a double-decker Gd(III) complex, resulting from the intramolecular inclusion of potassium cations between the decks with simultaneous twisting of the ligands (the skew angle between them decreases from 44.61 to 0.21°). Such a structural change leads to an increase in the deck-to-deck distance and drastically facilitates ligand reduction. This process was shown to be anion-dependent: only potassium salts of weak acids (KOPiv and KOAc) induce intramolecular inclusion of cations with redox switching in contrast to salts of strong acids (KBr, KOPic, KSCN, and KPF6), where such a redox process does not occur. This breakthrough opens new avenues for controlling the electrochromic properties, of phthalocyanines, along with other properties, such as electrical conductivity, optics, etc.

Site-Selective Solvation-Induced Conformational Switching of Heteroleptic Heteronuclear Tb(III) and Y(III) Trisphthalocyaninates for the Control of Their Magnetic Anisotropy

In the present work, we report the synthesis of isomeric heteronuclear terbium(III) and yttrium(III) triple-decker phthalocyaninates [(BuO)₈Pc]M[(BuO)₈Pc]M*[(15C5)₄Pc] (M = Tb, M* = Y or M = Y, M* = Tb, [(BuO)₈Pc]^2--octa-n-butoxyphthalocyaninato-ligand, [(15C5)₄Pc]^2--tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyaninato-ligand). We show that these complexes undergo solvation-induced switching: the conformers in which both metal centers are in square-antiprismatic environments are stabilized in toluene, whereas in dichloromethane, the metal centers M and M* are in distorted prismatic and antiprismatic environments, respectively. This conclusion follows from the detailed analysis of lanthanide-induced shifts in ¹H NMR spectra, which makes it possible to extract the axial component of the magnetic susceptibility tensor χaxTb and to show that this term is particularly sensitive to conformational switching when terbium(III) ion is placed in the switchable "M" site. This result provides a new tool for controlling the magnetic properties of lanthanide complexes with phthalocyanine ligands.

Lanthanide Single-molecule Magnets: Synthetic Strategy, Structures, Properties and Recent Advances

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) show wide potential applications in the field of ultrahigh-density storage materials, quantum computing, spintronics, and so on. Lanthanide (Ln) SMMs, as an important category of SMMs, open up a promising prospect due to their large magnetic moments and huge magnetic anisotropy. However, the construction of high performance for Ln SMMs remains an enormous challenge. Although remarkable advances are focused on the topic of Ln SMMs, the research on Ln SMMs with different nuclear numbers is still deficient. Therefore, this review summarizes the design strategies for the construction of Ln SMMs, as well as the metal skeleton types. Furthermore, we collect reported Ln SMMs with mononuclearity, dinuclearity, and multinuclearity (three or more Ln spin centers) and the SMM properties including energy barrier (U_eff ) and pre-exponential factor (τ₀ ) are described. Finally, Ln SMMs with low-nuclearity SMMs, especially for single-ion magnets (SIMs), are highlighted to understand the correlations between structures and magnetic behavior of the detail SMM properties are described. We expect the review can shed light on the future developments of high-performance Ln SMMs.

Rigid N3O2-Pentadentate Ligand-Assisted Octacoordinate Mononuclear Ln(III) Complexes: Syntheses, Characterization, and Slow Magnetization Relaxation

A series of air-stable mononuclear octacoordinate Ln(III) complexes, [(L)Ln(TPPO)₃]OTf (Ln = Y (1·Y); Gd (1·Gd); Tb (1·Tb); Dy (1·Dy); Ho (1·Ho); and Er (1·Er)) and [(L)Ln(TPPO)(NO₃)] (Ln = Y (2·Y) and Dy (2·Dy)), are synthesized employing a rigid N₃O₂-pentadentate chelating ligand as the basis ligand and meridional ancillary ligands (where H₂L = 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis-benzoylhydrazone, TPPO = triphenylphosphine oxide, and OTf^- = trifluoromethanesulfonate). All the complexes are synthesized under aerobic conditions and characterized comprehensively by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic techniques. Magnetic property investigation on the polycrystalline solid samples of 1·Ln (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er) and 2·Dy are reported. A field-induced single-molecule magnet behavior was observed for the Dy derivatives. 1·Dy exhibits the highest effective energy barrier of magnetization reversal, U _eff/k _B = 47 K under H _dc = 1 kOe among the complexes presented herein.

Rare-earth based tetrapyrrolic sandwiches: chemistry, materials and applications

This review summarises advances in chemistry of tetrapyrrole sandwiches with rare earth elements and highlights the current state of their use in single-molecule magnetism, organic field-effect transistors, conducting materials and nonlinear optics.

Octopus-Type Crown-Bisphthalocyaninate Anchor for Bottom-Up Assembly of Supramolecular Bilayers with Expanded Redox-Switching Capability

Achievement of information storage at molecular level remains a pressing task in miniaturization of computing technology. One of the promising approaches for its practical realization is development of nanoscale molecular switching materials including redox-active systems. The present work demonstrates a concept of expansion of a number of available redox-states of self-assembled monolayers through supramolecular approach. For this, the authors synthesized an octopus-like heteroleptic terbium(III) bisphthalocyaninate bearing one ligand with eight thioacetate-terminated "tentacles" (octopus-Pc) and a ligand with four crown-ether moieties (H₂ [(15C5)₄ Pc]). It is shown that octopus-Pc forms stable monolayers on gold, where its face-on orientation allows for subsequent binding of crown-phthalocyanine molecules via potassium ion bridges. This chemistry is utilized to form a heterogeneous bilayer, in which a single molecule thick adlayer brings an additional redox-state to the system, thus expanding the multistability of the system as a whole. All four redox states available to this system exhibit characteristic absorbance in visible range, allowing for the switching to be easily read out using optical density measurements. The proposed approach can be used in wide range of switchable materials-single-molecule magnets, conductive, and optical devices, etc.

Two types of Ln2Cu2 hydroxo-trimethylacetate complexes with 0D and 1D motifs: synthetic features, structural differences, and slow magnetic relaxation

Two series of heterometallic Ln^III-Cu^II compounds containing a butterfly-like tetranuclear metal core were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and magnetometry. The structures of the new compounds were shown to depend on the nature of the hydroxide used for the synthesis. The reactions of copper(II) and lanthanide(III) salts with Hpiv (Hpiv is trimethylacetic acid) and LiOH in a MeCN-EtOH mixture afford the molecular complexes [Ln₂Cu₂(μ₃-OH)₂(piv)₈(H₂O)₄]·4EtOH (1Ln, Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Yb), whereas the similar reactions using NaOH instead of LiOH give the 1D coordination polymers [Na₂Ln₂Cu₂(μ₃-OH)₂(piv)₁₀(EtOH)₂]·EtOH (2Ln, Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Yb). According to ac susceptibility measurements, the Dy^III-Cu^II compounds (1Dy and 2Dy) exhibit slow relaxation of magnetization indicative of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior. In the series of Yb^III-Cu^II compounds, only complex 2Yb shows frequency-dependent out-of-phase ac susceptibility signals. This is the first reported example of carboxylate-based Yb^III-Cu^II compound displaying slow magnetic relaxation.

Heteroleptic Crown-Substituted Tris(phthalocyaninates) as Dynamic Supramolecular Scaffolds with Switchable Rotational States and Tunable Magnetic Properties

Herein we report single-crystal X-ray diffraction characterization and complementary solution studies of supramolecular interaction between potassium salts and heteroleptic homo- and heteronuclear triple-decker crown phthalocyaninates [(15C5)₄Pc]M*[(15C5)₄Pc]M(Pc) or [M*,M], where M* and M = Y and/or Tb. Our results evidence that, in contrast to the previously studied crown-substituted phthalocyanines, the interaction of K⁺ cations with [M*,M] does not induce their intermolecular aggregation. Instead, the cations reversibly intercalate between the crown-substituted phthalocyanine ligands, resulting in switching of the coordination polyhedron of the metal center M* from square-antiprismatic to square-prismatic. In the case of terbium(III) complexes, such a switching alters their magnetic properties, which can be read-out by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. For [Tb*,Y], such a switching causes an almost 25% increase in the axial component of the magnetic susceptibility tensor. Even though the polyhedron of the paramagnetic center in [Y*,Tb] is not switched, minor structural perturbations associated with the overall reorganization of the receptor also cause smaller, but nevertheless appreciable, growth of the axial anisotropy. The observed effects render the studied complexes as molecular switches with tunable magnetic properties.

Synthesis of Bis{meso-Tetrakis(4-N-alkylpyridiniumyl)porphyrinato}cerium and Its Redox Switching Behavior

A novel double-decker porphyrin complex, bis{meso-tetrakis(4-N-alkylpyridiniumyl)porphyrinato}cerium, was prepared. Electrochemical measurements revealed that this complex exhibited reversible redox waves corresponding to a 1e^– redox reaction of the cerium center. Treating the complex alternately with an oxidant and a reductant resulted in the reversible redox switching between the oxidized and reduced states in an organic solvent.

Opening Magnetic Hysteresis by Axial Ferromagnetic Coupling: From Mono-Decker to Double-Decker Metallacrown

Combining Ising-type magnetic anisotropy with collinear magnetic interactions in single-molecule magnets (SMMs) is a significant synthetic challenge. Herein we report a Dy[15-MC_Cu -5] (1-Dy) SMM, where a Dy^III ion is held in a central pseudo-D_5h pocket of a rigid and planar Cu₅ metallacrown (MC). Linking two Dy[15-MC_Cu -5] units with a single hydroxide bridge yields the double-decker {Dy[15-MC_Cu -5]}₂ (2-Dy) SMM where the anisotropy axes of the two Dy^III ions are nearly collinear, resulting in magnetic relaxation times for 2-Dy that are approximately 200 000 times slower at 2 K than for 1-Dy in zero external field. Whereas 1-Dy and the Y^III -diluted Dy@2-Y analogue do not show remanence in magnetic hysteresis experiments, the hysteresis data for 2-Dy remain open up to 6 K without a sudden drop at zero field. In conjunction with theoretical calculations, these results demonstrate that the axial ferromagnetic Dy-Dy coupling suppresses fast quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM). The relaxation profiles of both complexes curiously exhibit three distinct exponential regimes, and hold the largest effective energy barriers for any reported d-f SMMs up to 625 cm^-1 .

Manipulation of the Coordination Geometry along the C4 Rotation Axis in a Dinuclear Tb3+ Triple-Decker Complex via a Supramolecular Approach

A supramolecular complex (1⋅C₆₀ ) was prepared by assembling (C60-Ih)[5,6]fullerene (C₆₀ ) with the dinuclear Tb³⁺ triple-decker complex [(TPP)Tb(Pc)Tb(TPP)] (1: Tb³⁺ =trivalent terbium ion, Pc^2- =phthalocyaninato, TPP^2- =tetraphenylporphyrinato) with quasi-D_4h symmetry to investigate the relationship between the coordination symmetry and single-molecule magnet (SMM) properties. Tb³⁺ -Pc triple-decker complexes (Tb₂ Pc₃ ) have an important advantage over Tb³⁺ -Pc double-decker complexes (TbPc₂ ) since the magnetic relaxation processes correspond to the Zeeman splitting when there are two 4f spin systems. The two Tb³⁺ sites of 1 are equivalent, and the twist angle (φ) was determined to be 3.62°. On the other hand, the two Tb³⁺ sites of 1⋅C₆₀ are not equivalent. The φ values for sites Tb1 and Tb2 were determined to be 3.67° and 33.8°, respectively, due to a change in the coordination symmetry of 1 upon association with C₆₀ . At 1.8 K, 1 and 1⋅C₆₀ undergo different magnetic relaxations, and the changes in the ground state affect the spin dynamics. Although 1 and 1⋅C₆₀ relax via QTM in a zero applied magnetic field (H), H dependencies of the magnetic relaxation times (τ) for H>1500 Oe are similar. On the other hand, for H<1500 Oe, the τ values have different behaviors since the off-diagonal terms ( B k q ; q ≠ 0 ) affect the magnetic relaxation mechanism. From temperature (T) and H dependences of τ, spin-phonon interactions along with direct and Raman mechanisms explain the spin dynamics. We believe that a supramolecular method can be used to control the magnetic anisotropy along the C₄ rotation axis and the spin dynamic properties in dinuclear Ln³⁺ -Pc multiple-decker complexes.

Synergistic effect of mixed ligands on the anisotropy axis of two dinuclear dysprosium complexes

We present the synergistic effect of mixed ligands on the anisotropy axis of two dinuclear dysprosium complexes.

A rare chloride-bridged dysprosium chain with slow magnetic relaxation: a thermally activated mechanism via a second-excited state promoted by magnetic interactions

Magnetic interactions induced by chloride bridges promote the slow magnetic relaxation in a dysprosium chain to pass through the second-excited state.

Crown-substituted naphthalocyanines: synthesis and supramolecular control over aggregation and photophysical properties

Tetra-15-crown-5-naphthalocyanines as first representatives of crown-substituted π-extended phthalocyanines were synthesized and characterized. The possibility to control their aggregation and photophysical properties by reversible formation of supramolecular assemblies in the presence of KOAc was demonstrated.

Fabricating Bis(phthalocyaninato) Terbium SIM into Tetrakis(phthalocyaninato) Terbium SMM with Enhanced Performance through Sodium Coordination

The non-peripherally substituted 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa(butoxy)-phthalocyanine-involved unsymmetrical heteroleptic bis(phthalocyaninato) terbium double-decker, Tb(Pc){H[Pc(α-OC₄ H₉ )₈ ]} (Pc=unsubstituted phthalocyanine) (1), was revealed to exhibit typical single ion magnet (SIM) behavior with effective energy barrier, 180 K (125 cm^-1 ), and blocking temperature, 2 K, due to the severe deviation of the terbium coordination polyhedron from square-antiprismatic geometry. Fabrication of this double-decker compound into the novel tetrakis(phthalocyaninato) terbium pseudo-quadruple-decker Na₂ {Tb(Pc)[Pc(α-OC₄ H₉ )₈ ]}₂ (2) single molecule magnet (SMM) not only optimizes the coordination polyhedron of terbium ion towards the square-antiprismatic geometry and intensifies the coordination field strength, but more importantly significantly enhances the molecular magnetic anisotropy in the unsymmetrical bis(phthalocyaninato) double-decker unit, along with the change of the counter cation from H⁺ of 1 to Na⁺ of 2, leading to an significantly enhanced magnetic behavior with spin-reversal energy barrier, 528 K (367 cm^-1 ), and blocking temperature, 25 K. The present result is surely helpful towards developing novel tetrapyrrole lanthanide SMMs through rational design and self-assembly from bis(tetrapyrrole) lanthanide single ion magnet (SIM) building block.

Comparison of the Magnetic Anisotropy and Spin Relaxation Phenomenon of Dinuclear Terbium(III) Phthalocyaninato Single-Molecule Magnets Using the Geometric Spin Arrangement

Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of a dinuclear Tb^III single-molecule magnet (SMM) with two [TbPc₂]⁰ units connected via a fused-phthalocyaninato ligand. The stable and robust complex [(obPc)Tb(Fused-Pc)Tb(obPc)] (1) was characterized by using synchrotron radiation measurements and other spectroscopic techniques (ESI-MS, FT-IR, UV). The magnetic couplings between the Tb^III ions and the two π radicals present in 1 were explored by means of density functional theory (DFT). Direct and alternating current magnetic susceptibility measurements were conducted on magnetically diluted and nondiluted samples of 1, indicating this compound to be an SMM with improved properties compared to those of the well-known [TbPc₂]^-/0/+ and the axially symmetric dinuclear Tb^III phthalocyaninato triple-decker complex (Tb₂(obPc)₃). Assuming that the probability of quantum tunneling of the magnetization (QTM) occurring in one TbPc₂ unit is P_QTM, the probability of QTM simultaneously occurring in 1 is P_QTM², meaning that QTM is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, nondiluted samples of 1 underwent slow magnetic relaxation times (τ ≈ 1000 s at 0.1 K), and the blocking temperature (T_B) was determined to be ca. 16 K with an energy barrier for spin reversal (U_eff) of 588 cm^-1 (847 K) due to D_4d geometry and weak inter- and intramolecular magnetic interactions as an exchange bias (H_bias), reducing QTM. Four hyperfine steps were observed by micro-SQUID measurement. Furthermore, solution NMR measurements (one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and dynamic) were done on 1, which led to the determination of the high rotation barrier (83 ± 10 kJ/mol) of the obPc ligand. A comparison with previously reported Tb^III triple-decker compounds shows that ambient temperature NMR measurements can indicate improvements in the design of coordination environments for SMMs. A large U_eff causes strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in 1, leading to a χ_ax value (1.39 × 10^-30 m³) that is larger than that for Tb₂(obPc)₃ (0.86 × 10^-30 m³). Controlling the coordination environment and spin arrangement is an effective technique for suppressing QTM in TbPc₂-based SMMs.