Magnetocaloric effect in 1D-polymers bearing 15-metallacrown-5 {GdCu5}3+ units and anionic oxalate complexes

Two complexes {[GdCu5(GlyHA)5(H2O)7Cr(C2O4)3]·11.02H2O}n (1) and {{[GdCu5(GlyHA)5(H2O)6]μ2-[Cu(C2O4)2(H2O)]}2μ4-[Cu(C2O4)2]·15.8H2O}n (2), were obtained as outcomes of the reactions between the cationic hexanuclear {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ 15-metallacrown-5 complex (where GlyHA2- = glycinehydroxamate) and the anionic oxalate complexes K3[Cr(C2O4)3] or K2[Cu(C2O4)2]. Both 1 and 2 possess polymeric 1D-chain structures according to X-ray structural analysis. As a consequence of the geometric orientations of the donor atoms in the oxalates from [Cr(C2O4)3]3-, the Cu5 mean planes of neighboring 15-metallacrown-5 units {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ are angled at 75.5° to each other, which leads to formation of a zig-zag motif in the 1D-chains of complex 1. The centrosymmetric complex 2 contains two structurally different bis(oxalato)cuprate anions μ2-[Cu(C2O4)2(H2O)]2-, for one of which, coordination to two adjacent {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ units leads to formation of linear 1D-chains in 2, while the second type, μ4-[Cu(C2O4)2]2-, is coordinated to four {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ units, causing the cross-linking of single 1D-chains into a double-chain 1D coordination polymer. Studies of χMT vs. T data for 1 and 2 in a 2-300 K temperature range revealed the presence of both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions amongst paramagnetic centres. The experimental χMT vs. T data for 1 were fitted using a model which takes into account exchange interactions between adjacent copper(II) ions, the Gd-Cu exchange interactions within {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ units and additionally Gd-Cr exchange interactions. Fitting of the χMT vs. T data for 2 was not possible, since coordination of μ4-[Cu(C2O4)2]2- to {GdCu5(GlyHA)5}3+ led to the non-equivalence of several Cu-Cu exchange interactions within the metallacrown units and hence a superfluity of fittable parameters. Complexes 1 and 2 are the first examples of 15-metallacrown-5 complexes demonstrating a magnetocaloric effect (-ΔSM at 13 T reaches 24.26 J K-1 kg-1 at 5 K and 19.14 J K-1 kg-1 at 4 K for 1 and 2, respectively).

Visible and near-infrared emitting heterotrimetallic lanthanide-aluminum-sodium 12-metallacrown-4 compounds: discrete monomers and dimers

The luminescence properties of two types of heterotrimetallic aluminum-lanthanide-sodium 12-metallacrown-4 compounds are presented here, LnNa(ben)₄[12-MC_{Al(III)N(shi)}-4] (LnAl4Na) and {LnNa[12-MC_{Al(III)N(shi)}-4]}₂(iph)₄ (Ln2Al8Na2), where Ln = Gd^III, Tb^III, Er^III, and Yb^III, MC is metallacrown, ben^- is benzoate, shi^3- is salicylhydroximate, and iph^2- is isophthalate. The aluminum-lanthanide-sodium metallacrowns formed with benzoate are discrete monomers while, upon replacement of the benzoate with the dicarboxylate isophthalate, two individual metallacrowns can be joined to form a dimer. In the solid state, the terbium version of each structure type displays emission in the visible region, and the erbium and ytterbium complexes emit in the near-infrared. The luminescence lifetimes (τ_obs) and quantum yields have been collected under ligand excitation (QLLn) for both LnAl4Na monomers and Ln2Al8Na2 dimers. Several of these values tend to be shorter (luminescence lifetimes) and smaller (quantum yields) than the corresponding values recorded for the structurally similar gallium-lanthanide monomer and dimer 12-MC-4 molecules. However, the quantum yield value recorded for the visible emitting Tb2Al8Na2 dimer, 43.9%, is the highest value observed in the solid state to date for a Tb^III based metallacrown.

Slow magnetic relaxation of mononuclear complexes based on uncommon Kramers lanthanide ions CeIII, SmIII and YbIII

Based on uncommon Kramers ions CeIII, SmIII and YbIII, complexes [Ce(dppbO2)2Cl3] (1, dppbO2 = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene dioxide), [Sm(dppbO2)2Cl3] (2) and [Yb(dppbO2)2Cl2]Cl (3) toward single-ion magnets were obtained and fully characterized. Complexes...

Macrocycle based dinuclear dysprosium(III) single molecule magnets with local D5h coordination geometry

Targeted approaches for manipulating the coordination geometry of lanthanide ions are a promising way to synthesize high-performance single-molecule magnets (SMMs), but most of the successful examples reported to date focus on mononuclear complexes. Herein, we describe a strategy to assemble dinuclear SMMs with Dy^III ions in approximate D_5h coordination geometry based on pyrazolate-based macrocyclic ligands with two binding sites. A Dy4 complex with a rhomb-like arrangement of four Dy^III as well as two dinuclear complexes having axial chlorido ligands (Dy2·Cl and Dy2*·Cl) were obtained; in the latter case, substituting Cl^- by SCN^- gave Dy2·SCN. Magneto-structural studies revealed that the μ-OH bridges with short Dy-O bonds dominate the magnetic anisotropy of the Dy^III ions in centrosymmetric Dy4 to give a vortex type diamagnetic ground state. Dynamic magnetic studies of Dy4 identified two relaxation processes under zero field, one of which is suppressed after applying a dc field. For complexes Dy2·Cl and Dy2*·Cl, the Dy^III ions feature almost perfect D_5h environment, but both complexes only behave as field-induced SMMs (U_eff = 19 and 25 K) due to the weak axial Cl^- donors. In Dy2·SCN additional MeOH coordination leads to a distorted D_2d geometry of the Dy^III ions, yet SMMs properties at zero field are observed due to the relatively strong axial ligand field provided by SCN^- (U_eff = 43 K). Further elaboration of preorganizing macrocyclic ligands appears to be a promising strategy for imposing a desired coordination geometry with parallel orientation of the anisotropy axes of proximate Dy^III ions in a targeted approach.

Crystal structure of a TbIII-CuII glycine-hydroxamate 15-metallacrown-5 sulfate complex

The core of the title complex, bis-[hexa-aqua-hemi-aqua-penta-kis-(μ3-glycine-hydroxamato)sulfato-penta-copper(II)terbium(III)] sulfate hexa-hydrate, [TbCu5(SO4)(GlyHA)5(H2O)6.5]2(SO4)·6H2O (1), which belongs to the 15-metalla-crown-5 family, consists of five glycine-hydroxamate dianions (GlyHA2-; C2H4N2O2) and five copper(II) ions linked together forming a metallamacrocyclic moiety. The terbium(III) ion is connected to the centre of the metallamacrocycle through five hydroxamate oxygen atoms. The coordination environment of the Tb3+ ion is completed to an octa-coordination level by oxygen atoms of a bidentate sulfate and an apically coordinated water mol-ecule, while the copper(II) atoms are square-planar, penta- or hexa-coordinate due to the apical coordination of water mol-ecules. Continuous shape calculations indicate that the coordination polyhedron of the Tb3+ ion in 1 is best described as square anti-prismatic. The positive charge of each pair of [TbCu5(GlyHA)5(H2O)6.5(SO4)]2 2+ fragments is compensated by a non-coordinated sulfate anion, which is located on an inversion center with 1:1 disordered oxygen atoms. Complex 1 is isomorphous with the previously reported compounds [LnCu5(GlyHA)5(SO4)(H2O)6.5]2(SO4), where Ln III = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy and Ho.

Recent advances in lanthanide coordination polymers and clusters with magnetocaloric effect or single-molecule magnet behavior

Molecular magnetorefrigerant materials for low-temperature magnetic refrigeration and single-molecule magnets for high-density information storage and quantum computing have received extensive attention from chemists and magnetic experts. Lanthanide ions with unique magnetic properties have always been considered as ideal candidates for the construction of such materials. This frontier article focuses on Gd^III-based molecular magnetorefrigerants and lanthanide-based single-molecule magnets and highlights the most significant advances.

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 .

Origins of Slow Magnetic Relaxation in Single-Molecule Magnets

Exponential and power law temperature dependences are widely used to fit experimental data of magnetic relaxation time in single molecular magnets. We derived a theory to show how these rules arise from the underling relaxation mechanisms and to clarify the conditions for their occurrence. The theory solves the puzzle of lower-than-expected Orbach barriers found in recent experiments, and elucidates it as a result of the Raman process in disguise. Our results highlight the importance of reducing the rate of direct tunneling between the ground state doublet so as to achieve longtime coherence in magnetic molecules. To this end, large spin and small transverse magnetic anisotropy can reduce magnitude of the transition operator, and rigid ligands may weaken the spin-phonon coupling in that they raise the energy of vibrational modes and better screen the acoustic phonons.

A family of planar hexanuclear CoLn clusters with lucanidae-like arrangement and single-molecule magnet behavior

A family of planar hexanuclear CoLn clusters with the hydroxyl and nitrogen rich ligand 2-[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl) amino]-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol (H₃L), formulated as [Co₄Ln₂(μ₃-O)₂(μ-N₃)₂(OH)₂(H₂O)₂(HL)₄]·(CH₃CO₂)₂·20H₂O [Ln = Dy (1), Gd (2), Tb (3), Eu (4) and Ho (5)], have been synthesized and structurally characterized. They are isomorphous and feature a lucanidae-like arrangement. They are the first examples of 3d-4f clusters with the H₃L ligand. In addition, the magnetic properties of 1-5 have been investigated and the single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour is observed for 1.

The crystal structures of {LnCu5}3+ (Ln = Gd, Dy and Ho) 15-metallacrown-5 complexes and a reevaluation of the isotypic EuIII analogue

Three new isotypic heteropolynuclear complexes, namely penta-aqua-carbonato-penta-kis-(glycinehydroxamato)nitrato-penta-copper(II)lanthanide(III) x-hydrate, [LnCu5(GlyHA)5(CO3)(NO3)(H2O)5]·xH2O (GlyHA2- is glycine-hydrox-amate, N-hy-droxy-glycinamidate or amino-aceto-hydroxamate, C2H4N2O2 2-), with lanthanide(III) (Ln III) = gadolinium (Gd, 1, x = 3.5), dysprosium (Dy, 2, x = 3.28) and holmium (Ho, 3, x = 3.445), within a 15-metallacrown-5 class were obtained on reaction of lanthanide(III) nitrate, copper(II) acetate and sodium glycinehydroxamate. Complexes 1-3 contain five copper(II) ions and five bridging GlyHA2- anions, forming a [CuGlyHA]5 metallamacrocyclic core. The Ln III ions are coordinated to the metallamacrocycle through five O-donor hydroxamates. The electroneutrality of complexes 1-3 is achieved by a bidentate carbonate anion coordinated to the Ln III ion and a monodentate nitrate anion coordinated apically to one of the copper(II) ions of the metallamacrocycle. The lattice parameters of complexes 1-3 are similar to those previously reported for an EuIII-CuII 15-metallacrown-5 complex with glycine-hydroxamate of proposed composition [EuCu5(GlyHA)5(OH)(NO3)2(H2O)4]·3.5H2O [Stemmler et al. (1999 ▸). Inorg. Chem. 38, 2807-2817]. High-quality X-ray data obtained for 1-3 have allowed a re-evaluation of the X-ray data solution proposed earlier for the EuCu5 complex and suggest that the formula is actually [EuCu5(GlyHA)5(CO3)(NO3)(H2O)5]·3.5H2O.