Magnetic Ordering and Anisotropy in Heavy Atom Radicals

Enhancing Intramolecular Ferromagnetic Coupling in Tetrathiafulvalene-Nitronyl Nitroxide-Based Compounds through Spin Polarization Mechanism

Spin-polarized donor radicals based on tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives and nitronyl nitroxide (NN) radicals in which one-electron oxidation involves the HOMO instead of the SOMO are well known for exhibiting magnetoresistance. In particular, BTBN consists of one dibromo-TTF and one NN radical, which are linked by a phenyl coupler group. One of the key factors driving magnetoresistance is the presence of intramolecular ferromagnetic (FM) coupling between the oxidized π-donor (TTF+⋅, D unit) and NN (R unit). Here, a theoretical study is carried out to assess suitable candidates with enhanced FM coupling with respect BTBN, which is thus used as a reference. The study is conducted via in silico chemical modification of the substituents of the BTBN basic functional units (D and R radicals, C coupler) to benefit from the spin polarization mechanism to boost the intramolecular FM coupling, aiming to distort the BTBN radical arrangement within the molecular crystal as little as possible, in the event the material can be synthesized. NICSiso(1) and Wiberg's Bond Order are analyzed to further assist in identifying promising potential candidates, since the decrease in aromaticity is expected to enhance the diradical character and give rise to a larger magnetic coupling value. The most favorable diradical building block to replace the BTBN moiety results from using a hydroxyl-ethylene (-(H)C=C(OH)-) as a coupler preserving BTBN original radicals, namely, NN and TTF+⋅ units. This study aims at illustrating the feasibility of improving the intramolecular FM interaction between radical moieties, which is fully realized, as a first step towards the synthesis of new materials with (possibly) enhanced magnetoresistance properties.

From Stable Radicals to Thermally Robust High-Spin Diradicals and Triradicals

Stable radicals and thermally robust high-spin di- and triradicals have emerged as important organic materials due to their promising applications in diverse fields. New fundamental properties, such as SOMO/HOMO inversion of orbital energies, are explored for the design of new stable radicals, including highly luminescent ones with good photostability. A relation with the singlet-triplet energy gap in the corresponding diradicals is proposed. Thermally robust high-spin di- and triradicals, with energy gaps that are comparable to or greater than a thermal energy at room temperature, are more challenging to synthesize but more rewarding. We summarize a number of high-spin di- and triradicals, based on nitronyl nitroxides that provide a relation between the experimental pairwise exchange coupling constant J/k in the high-spin species vs experimental hyperfine coupling constants in the corresponding monoradicals. This relation allows us to identify outliers, which may correspond to radicals where J/k is not measured with sufficient accuracy. Double helical high-spin diradicals, in which spin density is delocalized over the chiral π-system, have been barely explored, with the sole example of such high-spin diradical possessing alternant π-system with Kekulé resonance form. Finally, we discuss a high-spin diradical with electrical conductivity and derivatives of triangulene diradicals.

Magnetic coupling and spin ordering in bisdithiazolyl, thiaselenazolyl, and bisdiselenazolyl molecular materials

The use of purely organic materials is a promising approach for the miniaturization of devices due to their interesting optical, electronic and magnetic properties. Bisdithiazolyl-based bisDTA compounds have emerged as promising candidates for radical-based single component conductors exhibiting simultaneously magnetic properties. Our computational work focuses on the intriguing magnetism of 4 isostructural pyridine-bridged bisDTA-multifunctional materials triggered by their magnetic and conducting properties being strongly dependent on the different S/Se ratios in the neutral radical skeleton: specifically, bisdithiazolyl (S,S) displays no magnetic order at low temperatures, thiaselenazolyl (Se,S) exhibits spin-canted antiferromagnetism (AFM), and both (S,Se) and bisdiselenazolyl (Se,Se) behave as bulk ferromagnets (FM). Our results reveal that (1) the magnetic response depends on the existence of an intricate network of both AFM and FM spin exchange J_AB couplings between neighbouring radicals; and (2) the structural arrangement of π-stacked pairs of radicals sits on a point in the configurational space that is very close to a crossover region where J_AB switches from AFM to FM. Indeed, for bulk FM, the experimental response is only accounted for when considering an ab initio optimised crystal structure able to portray adequately the electronic structure of bisDTAs in the region close to the temperature at which magnetic ordering emerges. Magneto-structural correlation maps show the large sensitivity of J_AB to very small structural changes with temperature along the π-stacks that lead to drastic changes in the magnetic properties. Clearly, the understanding of magnetism in the title bisDTA compounds is decisive to rationally tailor the properties of multifunctional materials by subtle structural modifications of their crystal packing.

Electronic structure and magnetic coupling in selenium substituted pyridine-bridged bisdithiazolyl multifunctional molecular materials

Bisdithiazolyl radicals have furnished in recent years multiple examples of molecular materials with promising conductive and magnetic properties. The electronic band structure and magnetic ordering in four different isostructural pyridine-bridged bisdithiazolyl and Selenium substituted compounds have been studied by means of hybrid DFT based methods as implemented in the CRYSTAL code. The full rationalization of the properties of these multifunctional magnetic molecular materials requires a careful description of their complex open-shell electronic structure. The results describe the systems as narrow band (0.2-0.3 eV dispersion) open-shell semiconductors with a gap of 1.15-1.40 eV between the valence and conducting bands. The bands defining the insulating gap are dominated by orbital contributions arising from the heteroatoms sitting in the outer rings. A low energy closed-shell metallic solution is found at 0.25-0.35 eV above the magnetic solutions thus suggesting a complex mechanism for electric conduction with band and hopping contributions. The observed trend of the conductivity is in line with the variation of the insulating gap but more rigorous modelling is required to take into account the details of the band structure of the systems. For all the systems the spin density is well localised on the molecular units and is independent of the magnetic solution. Thus the system can be described as an ensemble of well-defined S = 1/2 magnetic centres using a two-body Heisenberg-Dirac-van Vleck spin Hamiltonian. The lowest energy electronic solutions are in line with the observed magnetic behaviour at low temperature. The set of competing magnetic exchange interactions that emerges from using a suitable mapping to consistently describe the low energy magnetic solutions explains the variety of magnetic responses (absence of long-range magnetic order, antiferromagnetism or ferromagnetism) of the four studied compounds at low temperatures.

Low temperature insights into the crystal and magnetic structure of a neutral radical ferromagnet

The crystal structure of the radical ferromagnet 1a at 2 K reveals a contraction in the unit cell c constant which, at the molecular level, translates into a decrease in slippage of the radical π-stacks and an increase in ferromagnetic exchange interactions along the stacking axis. The results of BS-DFT calculations using long-range corrected functionals are consistent with an overall ferromagnetic topology.

Quasi-one dimensional magnetic interactions in the three-dimensional hyper-honeycomb framework [(C2H5)3NH]2Cu2(C2O4)3

The Cu(ii) ions in [(C2H5)3NH]2Cu2(C2O4)3 form a hyperhoneycomb lattice and show no indication of long-range magnetic order down to 60 mK. It has therefore been suggested that [(C2H5)3NH]2Cu2(C2O4)3 is a three dimensional quantum spin liquid. We construct a tight-binding model of [(C2H5)3NH]2Cu2(C2O4)3 from Wannier orbital overlaps. Including interactions within the Jahn-Teller distorted Cu-centered eg Wannier orbitals leads to a highly anisotropic effective Heisenberg model. We show that this anisotropy arrises from interference between different superexchange pathways. This demonstrates that when two (or more) orbitals contribute to the localised spin superexchange can be significantly richer than in the textbook single orbital case. The hyper-honeycomb lattice contains two symmetry distinct sublattices of Cu atoms arranged in coupled chains. We show that one sublattice is strongly dimerized, the other forms isotropic antiferromagnetic chains. Integrating out the strongest (intradimer) exchange interactions leaves extremely weakly coupled Heisenberg chains.

Putting the Squeeze on Molecule-Based Magnets: Exploiting Pressure to Develop Magneto-Structural Correlations in Paramagnetic Coordination Compounds

The cornerstone of molecular magnetism is a detailed understanding of the relationship between structure and magnetic behaviour, i.e., the development of magneto-structural correlations. Traditionally, the synthetic chemist approaches this challenge by making multiple compounds that share a similar magnetic core but differ in peripheral ligation. Changes in the ligand framework induce changes in the bond angles and distances around the metal ions, which are manifested in changes to magnetic susceptibility and magnetisation data. This approach requires the synthesis of a series of different ligands and assumes that the chemical/electronic nature of the ligands and their coordination to the metal, the nature and number of counter ions and how they are positioned in the crystal lattice, and the molecular and crystallographic symmetry have no effect on the measured magnetic properties. In short, the assumption is that everything outwith the magnetic core is inconsequential, which is a huge oversimplification. The ideal scenario would be to have the same complex available in multiple structural conformations, and this is something that can be achieved through the application of external hydrostatic pressure, correlating structural changes observed through high-pressure single crystal X-ray crystallography with changes observed in high-pressure magnetometry, in tandem with high-pressure inelastic neutron scattering (INS), high-pressure electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and high-pressure absorption/emission/Raman spectroscopy. In this review, which summarises our work in this area over the last 15 years, we show that the application of pressure to molecule-based magnets can (reversibly) (1) lead to changes in bond angles, distances, and Jahn–Teller orientations; (2) break and form bonds; (3) induce polymerisation/depolymerisation; (4) enforce multiple phase transitions; (5) instigate piezochromism; (6) change the magnitude and sign of pairwise exchange interactions and magnetic anisotropy, and (7) lead to significant increases in magnetic ordering temperatures.

Chemistry of Herz radicals: a new way to near-IR dyes with multiple long-lived and differently-coloured redox states

A new synthetic methodology based on the self-condensation of 1,2,3-benzodithiazolyl diradicals (Herz radicals) produces unprecedented 5-6-6-6-5 and 5-6-7-6-5 pentacyclic sulfur-nitrogen near-IR dyes featuring up to five multiple long-lived and differently coloured redox-states.

The Importance of Electronic Dimensionality in Multiorbital Radical Conductors

The exceptional performance of oxobenzene-bridged bis-1,2,3-dithiazolyls 6 as single-component neutral radical conductors arises from the presence of a low-lying π-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, which reduces the potential barrier to charge transport and increases the kinetic stabilization energy of the metallic state. As part of ongoing efforts to modify the solid-state structures and transport properties of these so-called multiorbital materials, we report the preparation and characterization of the acetoxy, methoxy, and thiomethyl derivatives 6 (R = OAc, OMe, SMe). The crystal structures are based on ribbonlike arrays of radicals laced together by S···N' and S···O' secondary bonding interactions. The steric and electronic effects of the exocyclic ligands varies, affording one-dimensional (1D) π-stacked radicals for R = OAc, 1D cofacial dimer π-stacks for R = SMe, and a pseudo two-dimensional (2D) brick-wall arrangement for R = OMe. Variable-temperature magnetic and conductivity measurements reveal strong antiferromagnetic interactions and Mott insulating behavior for the two radical-based structures (R = OAc, OMe), with lower room-temperature conductivities (σ_RT ≈ 1 × 10^-4 and ∼1 × 10^-3 S cm^-1, respectively) and higher thermal activation energies ( E_act = 0.24 and 0.21 eV, respectively) than found for the ideal 2D brick-wall structure of 6 (R = F), where σ_RT ≈ 1 × 10^-2 S cm^-1 and E_act = 0.10 eV. The performance of R = OMe, OAc relative to that of R = F, is consistent with the results of density functional theory band electronic structure calculations, which indicate a lower kinetic stabilization energy of the putative metallic state arising from their reduced electronic dimensionality.

Pancakes under Pressure: A Case Study on Isostructural Dithia- and Diselenadiazolyl Radical Dimers

The isostructural dimers of the 1,4-phenylene-bridged bis-1,2,3,5-dithia- and bis-1,2,3,5-diselenadiazolyl diradicals 1,4-S/Se are small band gap semiconductors. The response of their molecular and solid state electronic structures to pressure has been explored over the range 0-10 GPa. The crystal structures, which consist of cofacially aligned (pancake) π-dimers packed into herringbone arrays, experience a continuous, near-isotropic compression. While the intramolecular covalent E-E (E = S/Se) bonds remain relatively unchanged with pressurization, the intradimer E···E separations are significantly shortened. Molecular and band electronic structure calculations using density functional theory methods indicate that compression of the π-dimers leads to a widening of the gap Δ E between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of the dimer, an effect that offsets the expected decrease in the valence-to-conduction band gap E_g occasioned by pressure-induced spreading of the valence and conduction bands. Consistent with the predicted consequences of this competition between intra- and interdimer interactions, variable temperature high pressure conductivity measurements reveal at best an order-of-magnitude increase in conductivity with pressure for the two compounds over the pressure range 0-10 GPa. While a small reduction in the thermal activation energy E_act with increasing pressure is observed, extrapolation of the rate of decrease suggests a projected onset of metallization ( E_act ≈ 0) in excess of 20 GPa.

Three-Dimensional Magnetic Exchange Networks in Trigonal Bisdithiazolyl Radicals

The N-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridine-bridged bisdithiazolyl radical PhBPMe is polymorphic, crystallizing from cold acetonitrile in a trigonal α-phase, space group P3₁21, and from hot dichloroethane in an orthorhombic β-phase, space group Pca2₁. The crystal structures of both phases consist of slipped π-stacks of undimerized radicals aligned laterally into herringbone arrays. In the β-phase, there are two independent radicals in the asymmetric unit, and the resulting π-stacks form corrugated layers interspersed by methyl and phenyl groups which block the approach of neighboring radicals. In the α-phase, the methyl/phenyl groups and the radical π-stacks separately form spirals about 3₁ axes, the latter giving rise to a 3D network of close radical/radical contacts. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements on the β-phase indicate strong antiferromagnetic coupling. Weaker but predominantly antiferromagnetic interactions (θ = -20.7 K) are observed in the α-phase. A high temperature series expansion analysis of the magnetic data for the α-phase affords antiferromagnetic exchange energies for the one- and two-step radical/radical interactions about the 3₁ spirals ( J₁ = -1.2 K, J₂ = -10.9 K, respectively), with weak ferromagnetic interactions along the π-stacks ( J_π = +1.8 K). Despite the presence of a 3D network based on the dominant J₂ interactions, which affords two independent bipartite sublattices, no evidence of bulk antiferromagnetic order has been observed above T = 2 K. The magnetic results are discussed in light of exchange energies calculated using density functional theory broken symmetry methods.

Field-induced slow relaxation of magnetization in the S = 3/2 octahedral complexes trans-[Co{(OPPh2)(EPPh2)N}2(dmf)2], E = S, Se: effects of Co–Se vs. Co–S coordination

Magnetometry studies on octahedral trans-[Co{(OPPh₂)(EPPh₂)N}₂(dmf)₂], E = S, Se, complexes.

Ferromagnetic interactions in a 1D Heisenberg linear chain of 1-phenyl-3,7-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4-benzotriazin-4-yls

1-Phenyl-3,7-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4-benzotriazin-4-yl (2), was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractometry and variable temperature SQUID magnetometry to investigate its structure-magnetism correlation.

Reversible Solution π-Dimerization and Long Multicenter Bonding in a Stable Phenoxyl Radical

Reversible solution π-dimerization is observed in the stable neutral phenoxyl radical 2,6-bis-(8-quinolylamino)-4-(tert-butyl)phenoxyl baqp and is spectroscopically characterized. This behavior, not previously observed for π-extended phenoxyl radicals, is relevant to the formation of long multicenter bonding in the π-dimer at low temperature akin to previously reported phenalenyl radicals. Our experimental data are supported in a quantitative manner by results from density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular orbital theory calculations. Our theoretical results indicate that the solution dimer features strong bonding interactions between the two phenoxyl rings but that the stability of the dimer is also related to dispersion interactions between the flanking nearly parallel quinolyl rings.

Multifunctional Dithiadiazolyl Radicals: Fluorescence, Electroluminescence, and Photoconducting Behavior in Pyren-1'-yl-dithiadiazolyl

The pyren-1'-yl-functionalized dithiadiazolyl (DTDA) radical, C₁₆H₉CNSSN (1), is monomeric in solution and exhibits fluorescence in the deep-blue region of the visible spectrum (440 nm) upon excitation at 241 nm. The salt [1][GaCl₄] exhibits similar emission, reflecting the largely spectator nature of the radical in the fluorescence process, although the presence of the radical leads to a modest quenching of emission (Φ_F = 98% for 1⁺ and 50% for 1) through enhancement of non-radiative decay processes. Time-dependent density functional theory studies on 1 coupled with the similar emission profiles of both 1⁺ and 1 are consistent with the initial excitation being of predominantly pyrene π-π* character. Spectroscopic studies indicate stabilization of the excited state in polar media, with the fluorescence lifetime for 1 (τ = 5 ns) indicative of a short-lived excited state. Comparative studies between the energies of the frontier orbitals of pyren-1'-yl nitronyl nitroxide (2, which is not fluorescent) and 1 reveal that the energy mismatch and poor spatial overlap between the DTDA radical SOMO and the pyrene π manifold in 1 efficiently inhibit the non-radiative electron-electron exchange relaxation pathway previously described for 2. Solid-state films of both 1 and [1][GaCl₄] exhibit broad emission bands at 509 and 545 nm, respectively. Incorporation of 1 within a host matrix for OLED fabrication revealed electroluminescence, with CIE coordinates of (0.205, 0.280) corresponding to a sky-blue emission. The brightness of the device reached 1934 cd/m² at an applied voltage of 16 V. The crystal structure of 1 reveals a distorted π-stacked motif with almost regular distances between the pyrene rings but alternating long-short contacts between DTDA radicals. Solid state measurements on a thin film of 1 reveal emission occurs at shorter wavelengths (375 nm) whereas conductivity measurements on a single crystal of 1 show a photoconducting response at longer wavelength excitation (455 nm).

Temperature-Dependent Intramolecular Spin Coupling Interactions of a Flexible Bridged Nitronyl Nitroxide Biradical in Solution

A biradical consisting of two nitronyl nitroxide (NN) radicals bridged by diphenyl-hexaethylene glycol chain [phenyl-O-(CH₂CH₂O)₆-phenyl (GBN1)] was synthesized and investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in solution at different temperature ranges. The reversible temperature dependence behavior of spin coupling exchange is comprehensively reflected by the different lifetime of conformations due to a tumbling motion of the flexible hexaethylene glycol chain. The influences of different solvent on the exchange interactions between the radical entities are described by a two-conformational model, which was, for the first time, applied for di-NN molecule and revealed the thermodynamic parameters enthalpy and entropy (ΔH and ΔS) of the conformational changes. The positive value of enthalpy indicates lower energy of the stretched form (as calculated) compared to the bent form. The transition enthalpy in polar MeCN is larger than in toluene and the positive entropy sign indicates more chain conformation options in the bent state. The magnetic properties of this molecule were investigated in solid state by magnetization studies and EPR spectroscopy.

3D molecular network and magnetic ordering, formed by multi-dentate magnetic couplers, bis(benzene)chromium(i) and [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazolidyl

The bis(benzene)chromium(i) salt of [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazolyl radical-anion formed a 3D network structure and realized a magnetically ordered state below 8 K.

Synthesis of new hybrid 1,4-thiazinyl-1,2,3-dithiazolyl radicals via Smiles rearrangement

The condensation reaction of 2-aminobenzenethiols and 3-aminopyrazinethiols with 2-amino-6-fluoro-N-methylpyridinium triflate afforded thioether derivatives that were found to undergo Smiles rearrangement and cyclocondensation with sulphur monochloride to yield new hybrid 1,4-thiazine-1,2,3-dithiazolylium cations. The synthesized cations were readily reduced to the corresponding stable neutral radicals with spin densities delocalized over both 1,4-thiazinyl and 1,2,3-dithiazolyl moieties.

Strong intermolecular antiferromagnetic verdazyl-verdazyl coupling in the solid state

Strong magnetic couplings are generally observed intramolecularly in organic diradicals or in systems in which they are promoted by crystal engineering strategies involving, for example, transition metal ligation. We herein present a strong intermolecularly coupling verdazyl radical in the solid state without the use of such design strategies. The crystal structure of an acetylene-substituted verdazyl radical shows a unique antiparallel face-to-face orientation of the neighboring verdazyl molecules along with verdazyl-acetylene interactions giving rise to an alternating antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain. Single crystal structural data at 80, 100, 173, and 223 K show that one of the π-stacking distances depends on temperature, while heat capacity data indicate the absence of a phase transition. Based on this structural input, broken symmetry DFT calculations predict a change from an alternating linear Heisenberg chain with two comparable coupling constants J₁ and J₂ at higher temperatures towards dominant pair interactions at lower temperatures. The predicted antiferromagnetic coupling is confirmed experimentally by magnetic susceptibility, solid-state EPR and NMR spectroscopic results.

Singlet fission in pancake-bonded systems

Open-shell aggregates with pancake bonding are found to cause highly efficient singlet fission and large charge transport simultaneously.

Spin Frustration in an Organic Radical Ion Salt Based on a Kagome-Coupled Chain Structure

Electro-oxidation of the quinoidal bisdithiazole BT in dichloroethane in the presence of [Bu4N][GaBr4] affords the 1:1 radical ion salt [BT][GaBr4], crystals of which belong to the trigonal space group P3. The packing pattern of the radical cations provides a rare example of an organic kagome basket structure, with S = 1/2 radical ion chains located at the triangular corners of a trihexagonal lattice. Magnetic measurements over a wide temperature range from 30 mK to 300 K suggest strongly frustrated AFM interactions on the scale of J/kb ∼ 30 K, but reveal no anomalies that would be associated with magnetic order. These observations are discussed in terms of the symmetry allowed magnetic interactions within and between the frustrated layers.

The quest for rationalizing the magnetism in purely organic semiquinone-bridged bisdithiazolyl molecular magnets

Semiquinone-bridged bisdithiazolyl-based radicals (XBBO) are appealing purely organic magnetic building blocks for the synthesis of new functional materials. Remarkably, for the phenyl-derivative PhBBO, the rationalization of its magnetism becomes a proof of concept that DFT can dramatically fail to evaluate JAB magnetic interactions between purely organic radical pairs. Instead, wavefunction-based methods are required. Once JAB's are fully characterized, the magnetic topology of PhBBO is disclosed to consist of ferromagnetic FM π-stacks that are very weakly coupled (by FM and AFM JAB interactions). The magnetic susceptibility χT(T) and magnetization M(H) of PhBBO are then calculated using a first-principles bottom-up approach. The study of the unit cell contraction upon cooling from room temperature to zero-Kelvin is relevant to propose a suitable model for the phase transition that occurs at 4.5 K. A simplistic picture tells us that the antiparallel-aligned 1D-FM-chains convert into domains of weakly either FM- or AFM-coupled 1D-FM-chains. Accordingly, the presence of these domains may introduce geometrical spin frustration below 4.5 K.

Pushing TC to 27.5 K in a heavy atom radical ferromagnet

In the solid state the iodo-substituted bisdiselenazolyl radical 1c orders as a bulk ferromagnet with T_C = 10.5 K. With the application of pressure T_C rises rapidly, reaching a value of 27.5 K at 2.4 GPa.

Organic radicals for the enhancement of oxygen reduction reaction in Li–O2 batteries

Carbon free-radicals are used as soluble redox mediators to catalyze ORR and enhance the discharge of Li–O₂ batteries.

Towards the tailored design of benzotriazinyl-based organic radicals displaying a spin transition

In this work, we identify the ingredients that are crucial to enable the phase transition in benzotriazinyl-based organic radicals.