Endohedral metallofullerene molecular nanomagnets

Magnetic lanthanide (Ln) metal complexes exhibiting magnetic bistability can behave as molecular nanomagnets, also known as single-molecule magnets (SMMs), suitable for storing magnetic information at the molecular level, thus attracting extensive interest in the quest for high-density information storage and quantum information technologies. Upon encapsulating Ln ion(s) into fullerene cages, endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) have been proven as a promising and versatile platform to realize chemically robust SMMs, in which the magnetic properties are able to be readily tailored by altering the configurations of the encapsulated species and the host cages. In this review, we present critical discussions on the molecular structures and magnetic characterizations of EMF-SMMs, with the focus on their peculiar molecular and electronic structures and on the intriguing molecular magnetism arising from such structural uniqueness. In this context, different families of magnetic EMFs are summarized, including mononuclear EMF-SMMs wherein single-ion anisotropy is decisive, dinuclear clusterfullerenes whose magnetism is governed by intramolecular magnetic interaction, and radical-bridged dimetallic EMFs with high-spin ground states that arise from the strong ferromagnetic coupling. We then discuss how molecular assemblies of SMMs can be constructed, in a way that the original SMM behavior is either retained or altered in a controlled manner, thanks to the chemical robustness of EMFs. Finally, on the basis of understanding the structure-magnetic property correlation, we propose design strategies for high-performance EMF-SMMs by engineering ligand fields, electronic structures, magnetic interactions, and molecular vibrations that can couple to the spin states.

Metallofullerene single-molecule magnet Dy2O@C2v(5)-C80 with a strong antiferromagnetic Dy⋯Dy coupling

Dysprosium-oxide clusterfullerene Dy₂O@C_2v(5)-C₈₀ is a single-molecule magnet featuring antiferromagnetic superexchange Dy⋯Dy coupling via the μ₂-O^2- bridge, the strongest of its kind among {Dy₂} complexes with non-radical bridges.

Single-molecule magnet behaviour in a centrosymmetric dinuclear dysprosium(III) complex: sequential differentiation of triple relaxation pathways

A dinuclear complex with the formula Dy₂L₂(H₂L)Cl₂(EtOH)₂ (Dy2) has been synthesized by reacting DyCl₃·H₂O with a ligand H₂L (H₂L = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneimine)) using ethanol as the solvent. Its crystal structure can be viewed as a dimer of two Dy(III) fragments, where each Dy(III) site shows a N₂O₆Cl coordination sphere with a pentagonal bipyramid geometry (D_5h). Magnetic measurements reveal that Dy2 behaves as a single-ion magnet (SIM) under a zero field. When the field is applied, the ac magnetic susceptibilities show double and triple peaks under high (≥600 Oe) and low (<600 Oe) dc fields, respectively. In contrast to the common double relaxation pathways in SIMs, such multiple and intricate relaxation pathways have not been reported yet in the previous literature. In this work, by experimental analysis of the ac signals, we attribute the three slow relaxation pathways to quantum tunnelling of magnetization (QTM), intermolecular dipole-dipole interaction and spin reversal, respectively. In addition, ab initio calculations are used to elucidate the magnetic behaviours of Dy2. Overall, our work indicates that the interpretation of the relaxation process using double relaxation pathways is incomplete and difficult in previously reported literature.

The rational construction of diamond-like dysprosium–hexacyanometallate frameworks featuring dynamic magnetic behaviour

Four novel diamond-like dysprosium–hexacyanometallate frameworks featuring slow magnetic relaxation have been rationally constructed by a feasible building block strategy using hexacyanometallate to link superparamagnetic dimeric units.

Reversible Switching of Single-Molecule Magnetic Behaviour by Desorption/Adsorption of Solvent Ligand in a New Dy(III)-Based Metal Organic Framework

Two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [Dy(BDC)(NO₃)(DMF)₂] _n (1, H₂BDC = terephthalic acid) and [Dy(BDC)(NO₃)] _n (1a), were synthesized. The structures of MOFs 1 and 1a are easy to be reversibly transformed into each other by the desorption or adsorption of coordination solvent molecules. Accordingly, their magnetic properties can also be changed reversibly, which realizes our goals of manipulating on/off single-molecule magnet behaviour. MOF 1 behaves as a single-molecule magnet either with or without DC field. Contrarily, no slow magnetic relaxation was observed in 1a both under zero field and applied field.

Homochiral Dysprosium Phosphonate Nanowires: Morphology Control and Magnetic Dynamics

Controllable synthesis of uniformly distributed nanowires of coordination polymers with inherent physical functions is highly desirable but challenging. In particular, the combination of chirality and magnetism into nanowires has potential applications in multifunctional materials and spintronic devices. Herein, we report four pairs of enantiopure coordination polymers with formulae S-, R-Dy(cyampH)₃  ⋅ CH₃ COOH ⋅ 2H₂ O (S-1, R-1), S-, R-Dy(cyampH)₃  ⋅ 3H₂ O (S-2, R-2), S-, R-Dy(cyampH)₂ (C₂ H₅ COO) ⋅ 3H₂ O (S-3, R-3) and S-, R-Dy(cyampH)₃  ⋅ 0.5C₂ H₅ COOH ⋅ 2H₂ O (S-4, R-4) [cyampH₂ =S-, R-(1-cyclohexylethyl)aminomethylphosphonic acids], which were obtained depending on the pH of the reaction mixtures and the specific carboxylic acid used as pH regulator. Interestingly, compounds 3 were obtained as superlong nanowires, showing 1D neutral chain structure which contains both phosphonate and propionate anion ligands. While compounds 1, 2 and 4 appeared as block-like crystals, superhelices and nanorods, respectively, and exhibited similar neutral chain structures containing only phosphonate ligand. Slow magnetization relaxation characteristic of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior was observed for compounds S-1 and S-3. Theoretical calculations were performed to rationalize the magneto-structural relationships.

Enhancing the magnetic performance of pyrazine-N-oxide bridged dysprosium chains through controlled variation of ligand coordination modes

While assembling superparamagnetic units in a controlled manner is crucial for future applications of molecular nanomagnets, optimizing their magnetic properties while achieving directional assembly of these units still remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we demonstrate how the assembly of two dysprosium chain complexes, namely, [Dy₂(L)₂Cl₂(CH₃OH)₃]_n·nCH₃OH (1) and [Dy(L)Cl(DMF)]_n (2) (H₂L = N'-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)pyrazine-N-oxide-carbohydrazide), can be successfully manipulated using an appropriate bridging ligand design. Both complexes contain similar dimeric units bridged by two alkoxido oxygens from an L^2- ligand, but extended by its pyrazine-N-oxide group exhibiting two distinct coordination modes, namely, single and double pyrazine-N-oxide bridges, respectively. Magnetic studies reveal that both complexes display typical slow magnetic relaxation under zero direct-current field; however, the anisotropy barrier and the coercive field at 2 K for complex 2 are twice as much as that of 1. A further theoretical study indicates that switching the coordination mode from a single pyrazine-N-oxide bridge to double bridges can enhance both the magnetic anisotropy of dysprosium ions and magnetic coupling within the dimeric cores. The synergistic effect between the magnetic anisotropy of dysprosium ions and magnetic interactions among them directly contributes to the overall better performance of complex 2.

The construction of dynamic dysprosium-carboxylate ribbons by utilizing the hybrid-ligand conception

By utilizing the hybrid-ligand conception, three novel dysprosium complexes Dy(2-py-4-pmc)(L)(H2O) (H2-py-4-pmc = 2-(2-pyridyl)pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid; L = fumarate (fum, 1), succinate (suc, 2), or pimelate (pim, 3)) have been successfully synthesized. Structural analysis reveals that the dicarboxylate ligands connect 2-py-4-pmc--protected Dy3+ to form one-dimensional molecular ribbons. Magnetic measurements indicate that the three complexes exhibit typical slow magnetic relaxation under a zero dc field with effective reversal barriers Ueff of 180 K, 145 K and 137 K for 1-3, respectively, which is mainly attributed to the strong Ising anisotropy of dysprosium ions induced by the appropriate arrangement of carboxylate groups. Ab initio calculations demonstrate that the charge distribution around dysprosium ions and the magnetic interactions between them are key contributions to their different dynamic behaviour.

The comparative studies on the magnetic relaxation behaviour of the axially-elongated pentagonal-bipyramidal dysprosium and erbium ions in similar one-dimensional chain structures

A family of cyano-bridged 3d-4f 1D chain compounds, {RE[TM(CN)6(2-PNO)5]}·(H2O)4 {RE = YIII, TM = [FeIII]LS (1); RE = DyIII, TM = CoIII (3); RE = ErIII, TM = [FeIII]LS (4), CoIII (5); 2-PNO = 2-picoline-N-oxide} and {RE[TM(CN)6(2-PNO)5]} {RE = DyIII, TM = [FeIII]LS (2)}, were synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that compounds 1 and 3-5 are isostructural, while compound 2 has a similar 1D chain structure with a different chain to chain arrangement. An axially-elongated pentagonal bipyramidal (D5h) coordination geometry is formed with five 2-PNO ligands in the equatorial plane and two [TM(CN)6]3- on the apical sites around the rare earth ions in these compounds. A comparison of the magnetic relaxation behaviour in detail reveals that it is more favorable for the Er (4 and 5) than the Dy analogues (2 and 3) to exhibit SIM properties in this axially-elongated D5h coordination environment. Under zero dc field, ac susceptibility measurements show that the Dy analogues have no magnetic relaxation behaviour, while the Er analogues exhibit frequency dependence despite the strong QTM effect. Under a 1 kOe dc field, the Er analogues generally show 1-2 orders of magnitude longer relaxation time at each selected temperature and a higher relaxation energy barrier than the Dy analogues. And the RECo compounds (3 and 5) show a more suppressed QTM effect than the corresponding REFe (2 and 4) compounds, which may be ascribed to the elimination of the fluctuation field from the neighbouring [FeIII]LS ions. The ab initio calculations indicate the misplacement between the orientation of the main magnetic axis and the structural axis in the Dy analogues, and the relative consistency in the Er analogues, which should be the source of the Er analogues showing better SIM properties than the Dy analogues.

Magnetic hysteresis and strong ferromagnetic coupling of sulfur-bridged Dy ions in clusterfullerene Dy2S@C82

Two isomers of metallofullerene Dy₂S@C₈₂ with sulfur-bridged Dy ions exhibit broad magnetic hysteresis with sharp steps at sub-Kelvin temperature. Analysis of the level crossing events for different orientations of a magnetic field showed that even in powder samples, the hysteresis steps caused by quantum tunneling of magnetization can provide precise information on the strength of intramolecular Dy⋯Dy inter-actions. A comparison of different methods to determine the energy difference between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states showed that sub-Kelvin hysteresis gives the most robust and reliable values. The ground state in Dy₂S@C₈₂ has ferromagnetic coupling of Dy magnetic moments, whereas the state with antiferromagnetic coupling in C _s and C _3v cage isomers is 10.7 and 5.1 cm^-1 higher, respectively. The value for the C _s isomer is among the highest found in metallofullerenes and is considerably larger than that reported in non-fullerene dinuclear molecular magnets. Magnetization relaxation times measured in zero magnetic field at sub-Kelvin temperatures tend to level off near 900 and 3200 s in C _s and C _3v isomers. These times correspond to the quantum tunneling relaxation mechanism, in which the whole magnetic moment of the Dy₂S@C₈₂ molecule flips at once as a single entity.

Multiple slow relaxation of magnetization in Dy3+ confined in the crystal matrix of rare-earth-calcium silicates with the apatite structure

Apatite-type silicates Y7.75Dy0.25Ca2(SiO4)6O2 and Dy8Ca2(SiO4)6O2 were prepared by high-temperature solid state synthesis. In the crystal lattice, Dy3+ partially substitutes Ca2+, preferably at the 6h Ca2-site, and forms a short bond of 2.2 Å with the intra-channel O2-. The imposed strong ligand field anisotropy provides large magnetic anisotropy, which manifests itself as slow relaxation of magnetization at low temperatures. The magnetic dynamics is characterized by three or two characteristic values of relaxation time, respectively, which may be attributed to a single Dy3+ center. A phenomenological model is proposed which explains this response in terms of single paramagnetic center multiple relaxation.

Regulating the structural dimensionality and dynamic properties of a porous dysprosium coordination polymer through solvent molecules

The solvent molecules can regulate the structural dimensionality of a porous dysprosium coordination polymer from three to two and its dynamic behavior, as evidenced by the increase of the effective energy barriers and slowdown of quantum tunneling.

Weak exchange coupling effects leading to fast magnetic relaxations in a trinuclear dysprosium single-molecule magnet

In this work, we investigated the magnetic anisotropy and the influence of weak exchange interactions on the magnetic relaxations of a triangular type dysprosium single-molecule magnet.

Magnetic field and dilution effects on the slow relaxation of {Er3} triangle-based arsenotungstate single-molecule magnets

Triangular {Er₃} cluster containing POM exhibits field-induced two thermally activated relaxation processes. Whereas, the diamagnetic dilution sample indicates slow magnetic relaxation with the QTM being partially suppressed.

Single Molecule Magnetism with Strong Magnetic Anisotropy and Enhanced Dy∙∙∙Dy Coupling in Three Isomers of Dy-Oxide Clusterfullerene Dy2O@C82

A new class of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) based on Dy-oxide clusterfullerenes is synthesized. Three isomers of Dy2O@C82 with C s(6), C 3v(8), and C 2v(9) cage symmetries are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which shows that the endohedral Dy-(µ2-O)-Dy cluster has bent shape with very short Dy-O bonds. Dy2O@C82 isomers show SMM behavior with broad magnetic hysteresis, but the temperature and magnetization relaxation depend strongly on the fullerene cage. The short Dy-O distances and the large negative charge of the oxide ion in Dy2O@C82 result in the very strong magnetic anisotropy of Dy ions. Their magnetic moments are aligned along the Dy-O bonds and are antiferromagnetically (AFM) coupled. At low temperatures, relaxation of magnetization in Dy2O@C82 proceeds via the ferromagnetically (FM)-coupled excited state, giving Arrhenius behavior with the effective barriers equal to the AFM-FM energy difference. The AFM-FM energy differences of 5.4-12.9 cm-1 in Dy2O@C82 are considerably larger than in SMMs with {Dy2O2} bridges, and the Dy∙∙∙Dy exchange coupling in Dy2O@C82 is the strongest among all dinuclear Dy SMMs with diamagnetic bridges. Dy-oxide clusterfullerenes provide a playground for the further tuning of molecular magnetism via variation of the size and shape of the fullerene cage.