Tunable Optical Molecular Thermometers Based on Metallacrowns

The effect of ligands' energy levels on thermal dependence of lanthanide emission was examined to create new molecular nanothermometers. A series of Ln₂Ga₈L₈^'L₈^″ metallacrowns (shorthand Ln₂L₈^'), where Ln = Gd³⁺, Tb³⁺, or Sm³⁺ (H₃L' = salicylhydroxamic acid (H₃shi), 5-methylsalicylhydroxamic acid (H₃mshi), 5-methoxysalicylhydroxamic acid (H₃moshi), and 3-hydroxy-2-naphthohydroxamic acid (H₃nha)) and H₂L″ = isophthalic acid (H₂iph), was synthesized and characterized. Within the series, ligand-centered singlet state (S₁) energy levels ranged from 23,300 to 27,800 cm^-1, while triplet (T₁) energy levels ranged from 18,150 to 21,980 cm^-1. We demonstrated that the difference between T₁ levels and relevant energies of the excited ⁴G_5/2 level of Sm³⁺ (17,800 cm^-1) and ⁵D₄ level of Tb³⁺ (20,400 cm^-1) is the major parameter controlling thermal dependence of the emission intensity via the back energy transfer mechanism. However, when the energy difference between S₁ and T₁ levels is small (below 3760 cm^-1), the S₁ → T₁ intersystem crossing (and its reverse, S₁ ← T₁) mechanism contributes to the thermal behavior of metallacrowns. Both mechanisms affect Ln³⁺-centered room-temperature quantum yields with values ranging from 2.07(6)% to 31.2(2)% for Tb₂L₈^' and from 0.0267(7)% to 2.27(5)% for Sm₂L₈^'. The maximal thermal dependence varies over a wide thermal range (ca. 150-350 K) based on energy gaps between relevant ligand-based and lanthanide-based electronic states. By mixing Tb₂moshi₈^' with Sm₂moshi₈^' in a 1:1 ratio, an optical thermometer with a relative thermal sensitivity larger than 3%/K at 225 K was created. Other temperature ranges are also accessible with this approach.

3d/4f Sandwich Complex Based on Metallacrowns

A novel lanthanide double-decker complex with nickel metallacrowns (MCs) as coordinating ligands has been synthesized. In the 3d/4f metallacrown complex Tb^III[12-MC_Ni^IIN(shi)-4]₂, the central lanthanide ion is sandwiched between two [12-MC-4] units, forming an almost ideal square-antiprismatic coordination sphere. The resulting zenithal angles at the central lanthanide ion are smaller than those for previously reported sandwich compounds. Magnetic measurements reveal an energy barrier of 346 K under zero field and up to 585 K under 3200 Oe, the highest reported for metallacrowns with D_4d symmetry.

Magnetic investigation in di- and tetranuclear lanthanide complexes

Dinuclear and tetranuclear dysprosium-based complexes have been constructed by using a crab-like hydrazone ligand, with the former acting as a typical single-molecule magnet and the later showing diamagnetic ground state.

Crystal structures of two dysprosium-aluminium-sodium [3.3.1] metallacryptates that form two-dimensional sheets

The two [3.3.1] metallacryptate complexes, namely, poly[[μ3-acetato-hexa-kis-(μ-N,N-di-methyl-formamide)-bis-(N,N-di-methyl-formamide)bis-[salicyl-hydroxi-mato(2-)]hepta-kis-[salicyl-hydrox-im-ato(3-)]hexa-aluminium(III)dysprosium(III)penta-sodium(I)] N,N-di-methyl-formamide tetra-solvate monohydrate], [DyAl6Na5(OAc)(Hshi)2(shi)7(DMF)8]·4DMF·H2O or {[DyAl6Na5(C7H5NO3)2(C7H4NO3)7(C2H3O2)(C3H7NO)8]·4C3H7NO·H2O} n , 1, and poly[[di-μ4-acetato-nona-kis-(μ-N,N-di-methyl-form-amide)-octa-kis-(N,N-di-methyl-formamide)tetra-kis-[sali-cyl-hydroximato(2-)]tetra-deca-kis-[salicyl-hydroximato(3-)]dodeca-aluminium(III)didysprosium(III)deca-sodium(I)] N,N-di-methyl-form-amide 6.335-solvate], [DyAl6Na5(OAc)(Hshi)2(shi)7(DMF)8.5]2·6.335DMF or {[Dy2Al12Na10(C7H5NO3)4(C7H4NO3)14(C2H3O2)2(C3H7NO)17]·6.335C3H7NO} n , 2, where shi3- is salicyl-hydroximate and DMF is N,N-di-methyl-formamide, both consist of an aluminium-based metallacryptand. In 1 and 2, the metallacryptand encapsulates a dysprosium(III) ion in the central cavity, and the resulting metallacryptates are connected to each other via sodium-DMF linkages to generate a two-dimensional sheet. The metallacryptates of 1 and 2 are the three-dimensional analogues of metallacrowns as the metallacryptates contain a metal-nitro-gen-oxygen cyclic repeat unit throughout the complexes. For 1 the building block of the two-dimensional sheet is comprised of only one type of metallacryptate, which is connected to four neighboring metallacryptates via four sodium-DMF linkages. In 2, the building block is a dimeric unit of two metallacryptates. Each dimeric metallacryptate unit is connected to four other dimeric units via six sodium-DMF linkages. The two metallacryptates of each dimeric unit can be considered enanti-omers of each other. In both 1 and 2, chirality is imparted to the metallacryptate due to the Λ and Δ propeller configurations of the four octa-hedral aluminium ions of the metallacryptand shell.

Magnetic Relaxation Studies on Trigonal Bipyramidal Cobalt(II) Complexes

We report the preparation and the full characterization of a novel mononuclear trigonal bipyramidal Co^II complex [Co(NS₃ ^iPr )Br](BPh₄ ) (1) with the tetradentate sulfur-containing ligand NS₃ ^iPr (N(CH₂ CH₂ SCH(CH₃ )₂ )₃ ). The comparison of its magnetic behaviour with those of two previously reported compounds [Co(NS₃ ^iPr )Cl](BPh₄ ) (2) and [Co(NS₃ ^tBu )Br](ClO₄ ) (3) (NS₃ ^tBu =N(CH₂ CH₂ SC(CH₃ )₃ )₃ ) with similar structures shows that 1 displays a single-molecule magnet behaviour with the longest magnetic relaxation time (0.051 s) at T=1.8 K, which is almost thirty times larger than that of 3 (0.0019 s) and more than three times larger than that of 2 (0.015 s), though its effective energy barrier (26 cm^-1 ) is smaller. Compound 1, which contains two crystallographically independent molecules, presents smaller rhombic parameters (E=1.45 and 0.59 cm^-1 ) than 2 (E=2.05 and 1.02 cm^-1 ) and 3 (E=2.00 and 0.80 cm^-1 ) obtained from theoretical calculations. Compounds 2 and 3 have almost the same axial (D) and rhombic (E) parameter values, but present a large difference of their effective energy barrier and magnetic relaxation which may be attributed to the larger volume of BPh₄ ^- than ClO₄ ^- leading to larger diamagnetic dilution (weaker magnetic dipolar interaction) for 2 than for 3. The combination of these factors leads to a much slower magnetic relaxation for 1 than for the two other compounds.

Modulation of magnetic relaxation behaviors via replacing coordinated solvents in a series of linear tetranuclear Dy4 complexes

Four linear tetranuclear Dy₄ complexes with different coordinated solvents exhibit distinct magnetic relaxation behaviors.

Switchable slow relaxation of magnetization in photochromic dysprosium(iii) complexes manipulated by a dithienylethene ligand

The admirable photochromic and magnetic properties of two dithienylethene-based complexes can be modulated with UV/Vis light irradiation.