Magnetic properties of lanthanide organometallic sandwich complexes produced in a molecular beam

Comparison of Magnetic Deflection among Neutral Sodium-Doped Clusters: Na(H2O)n, Na(NH3)n, Na(MeOH)n, and Na(DME)n

Using a pulsed Stern-Gerlach deflection experiment, we present the results of a comparative study on the magnetic properties of neutral sodium-doped solvent clusters Na(Sol)n with n = 1-4 (Sol: H2O, NH3, CH3OH, CH3OCH3). Experimental deflection ratios are compared with values calculated from molecular dynamics simulations. NaNH3 and NaH2O are deflected as a spin 1/2 system, consistent with spin transitions occurring on a time scale significantly longer than 100 μs. For all other clusters, reduced deflection is observed. The observed magnetic deflection behavior is correlated to the number of thermally populated rotational states in the clusters. We discuss that spin-rotational couplings allow for avoided crossings and a reduction in the effective magnetic moment of the cluster. This work attempts to understand the evolution of magnetic properties in isolated weakly bound clusters and is relevant to diamagnetic and paramagnetic species expected to exist in solvated electron systems.

Magnetic deflection of neutral sodium-doped ammonia clusters

A new Stern–Gerlach setup elucidates the spin relaxation dynamics of small weakly-bound Na(NH₃)_n clusters.

Theoretical Study on Sandwich-Like Transition-Metal-Cyclooctatetraene Clusters and One-Dimensional Infinite Molecular Wires

Using density functional theory calculations, we investigated the structure and electronic properties of cyclooctatetraene (C8H8, COT)-ligand mono- or bi-transition-metal (M) sandwich clusters, M n (COT) n+1 (M = Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, n = 1, 2) or (COT)M1(COT)M2(COT), as well as their one-dimensional infinite molecular wires. All the sandwich M-COT clusters and molecular wires are rather stable with their binding energies ranging from 3.20 to 7.48 eV per transition-metal atom. Superior to M n Bz n+1 complexes, most sandwich M-COT complexes are in their high spin states with ultrahigh magnetic moments. Moreover, one-dimensional infinite molecular wires, [Cr(COT)]∞, [(COT)V(COT)Ti]∞ and [(COT)Sc(COT)Cr]∞, are predicted to be ferromagnetic half-metals. Our findings suggest that such M-COT sandwich complexes may be potential candidates for applications in spintronics.

Theoretical Study on the Photoelectron Spectra of Ln(COT)2-: Lanthanide Dependence of the Metal-Ligand Interaction

We have performed a theoretical analysis of the recently reported photoelectron (PE) spectra of the series of sandwich complex anions Ln(COT)₂^- (Ln = La-Lu, COT = 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene), focusing on the Ln dependence of the vertical detachment energies. For most Ln, the π molecular orbitals, largely localized on the COT ligands, have the energy order of e_1g < e_1u < e_2g < e_2u as in the actinide analogues, reflecting the substantial orbital interaction with the Ln 5d and 5p orbitals. Thus, it would be expected that the lanthanide contraction would increase the orbital interaction so that the overlaps between the COT π and Ln atomic orbitals tend to increase across the series. However, the PE spectra and theoretical calculations were not consistent with this expectation, and the details have been clarified in this study. Furthermore, the energy level splitting patterns of the anion and neutral complexes have been studied by multireference ab initio methods, and the X peak splittings observed in the PE spectra only for the middle-range Ln complexes were found to be due to the specific interaction between the Ln 4f and ligand π orbitals of the neutral complexes in e_2u symmetry. Because the magnitude of this 4f-ligand interaction depends critically on the final state 4f electron configuration and the spin state, a significant Ln dependence in the PE spectra is explained.

Theoretical studies on structural, magnetic, and spintronic characteristics of sandwiched Eu(n)COT(n+1) (n = 1-4) clusters

Europium (Eu)-cyclootetatrene (COT = C(8)H(8)) multidecker clusters (Eu(n)COT(n+1), n = 1-4) are studied by relativistic density functional theory calculations. These clusters are found to be thermodynamically stable with freely rotatable COT rings, and their total magnetic moments (MMs) increase linearly along with the number of Eu atoms. Each Eu atom contributes about 7 mu(B) to the cluster. Meanwhile, the internal COT rings have little MM contribution while the external COT rings have about 1 mu(B) MM aligned in opposite direction to that of the Eu atoms. The total MM of the Eu(n)COT(n+1) clusters can thus be generalized as 7n - 2 mu(B) where n is the number of Eu atoms. Besides, the ground states of these clusters are ferromagnetic and energetically competitive with the antiferromagnetic states, meaning that their spin states are very unstable, especially for larger clusters. More importantly, we uncover an interesting bonding characteristic of these clusters in which the interior ionic structure is capped by two hybrid covalent-ionic terminals. We suggest that such a characteristic makes the Eu(n)COT(n+1) clusters extremely stable. Finally, we reveal that for the positively charged clusters, the hybrid covalent-ionic terminals will tip further toward the interior part of the clusters to form deeper covalent-ionic caps. In contrast, the negatively charged clusters turn to pure ionic structures.

Ab initio study of structural and magnetic properties of TM(n)(ferrocene)(n+1) (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Mn) sandwich clusters and nanowires (n = infinity)

Structural and magnetic properties of multidecker sandwich clusters TM(n)(ferrocene)(n+1) [TM = V, Ti, Sc, Mn, ferrocene=FeCp(2), n = 1-3] and corresponding one-dimensional sandwich nanowires (n = infinity) are studied by means of gradient-corrected density functional theory. The TM(n)(FeCp(2))(n+1) clusters are highly stable polyferrocene-like sandwich structures due to strong Fe-Cp interaction. The total magnetic moment of TM(n)(FeCp(2))(n+1) (TM = V, Ti, Mn) increases linearly with the size n. More strikingly, Ti(n)(FeCp(2))(n+1) and V(n)(FeCp(2))(n+1) (n = 1-3) exhibit high magnetic moments 4, 8, 12 mu(B) and 1, 6, 11 mu(B), respectively. In contrast, Sc(n)(FeCp(2))(n+1) clusters are paramagnetic. The [TM(FeCp(2))](infinity) sandwich nanowires are ferromagnetic semiconductors whose band gap is 0.361, 0.506, 0.51, and 1.310 eV, respectively, for TM = Ti, Sc, V, and Mn. Among the four sandwich nanowires, [V(FeCp(2))](infinity) nanowire possesses the highest magnetic moment (5 mu(B)) per unit cell.

Stern-gerlach study of multidecker lanthanide-cyclooctatetraene sandwich clusters

Multilayer lanthanide-cyclooctatetraene organometallic clusters, Lnn(C8H8)m (Ln = Eu, Tb, Ho, Tm; n = 1-7; m = n - 1, n, n + 1) were produced by a laser vaporization synthesis method. The magnetic deflections of these organometallic sandwich clusters were measured by a molecular beam magnetic deflection technique. Most of the sandwich species displayed one-sided deflection, while some of smaller Ln-C8H8 clusters showed symmetric broadening without or with only very small (or absent) net high-field deflection. In general, the total magnetic moments, calculated from the magnitude of the beams deflections, increase with the number of lanthanide atoms (i.e., with increasing sandwich layers); however for Tb-, Ho-, and Tm-C8H8 clusters with n > 3, the suppression of the magnetic moments was observed, possibly through antiferromagnetic interactions. For Eu-C8H8 clusters, we observe a linear increase of the magnetic moments with the number of Eu atoms up to n = 7, with average magnetic moment per Eu atom around 7 muB--similar to that displayed by conventionally synthesized mononuclear EuIIC8H8 complexes, indicating that Eu atoms exist as Eu2+ ions in the full sandwich Eun(C8H8)n+1 clusters. These results suggest that Eun(C8H8)n+1 is a promising candidate for a high-spin, one-dimensional building block in organometallic magnetic materials.

Stern−Gerlach Experiments of One-Dimensional Metal−Benzene Sandwich Clusters: Mn(C6H6)m (M = Al, Sc, Ti, and V)

A molecular beam of multilayer metal-benzene organometallic clusters Mn(C6H6)m (M = Al, Sc, Ti, and V) was produced by a laser vaporization synthesis method, and their magnetic deflections were measured. Multidecker sandwich clusters of transition-metal atoms and benzene Scn(C6H6)n+1 (n = 1, 2) and Vn(C6H6)n+1 (n = 1-4) possess magnetic moments that increase monotonously with n. The magnetic moments of Al(C6H6), Scn(C6H6)n+1, and Vn(C6H6)n+1 are smaller than that of their spin-only values as a result of intracluster spin relaxation, an effect that depends on the orbital angular momenta and bonding characters of the orbitals containing electron spin. While Ti(C6H6)2 was found to be nonmagnetic, Tin(C6H6)n+1 (n = 2, 3) possess nonzero magnetic moments. The mechanism of ferromagnetic spin ordering in M2(C6H6)3 (M = Sc, Ti, V) is discussed qualitatively in terms of molecular orbital analysis. These sandwich species represent a new class of one-dimensional molecular magnets in which the transition-metal atoms are formally zerovalent.