Hanspeter Andres

Studies of a Nickel-Based Single-Molecule Magnet

A cyclic complex [Ni12(chp)12(O2CMe)12(thf)6(H2O)6] (1) has been synthesised and studied (chp=6-chloro-2-pyridonate). Complex 1 exhibits ferromagnetic exchange between the S=1 centres, giving an S=12 spin ground state. Detailed studies demonstrate that it is a single-molecule magnet with an energy barrier of approximately 10 K for reorientation of magnetisation. Resonant quantum tunnelling is also observed. The field between resonances allows accurate measurement of D, which is 0.067 K. Inelastic neutron scattering studies have allowed exchange parameters to be derived accurately, which was impossible from susceptibility data alone. Three exchange interactions are required: two ferromagnetic nearest neighbour interactions of approximately 11 and 2 cm−1 and an anti-ferromagnetic next nearest neighbour interaction of −0.9 cm−1.

Anisotropic exchange coupling in the Keggin derivative K8[Co2(D2O)(W11O39)] · n D2O

Abstract 20 g of the fully deuterated title compound have been prepared in polycrystalline form and investigated by inelastic neutron scattering using both thermal and cold neutrons. Magnetic dimer excitations were observed and the energy-splitting pattern resulting from the exchange coupling within the Co 2+ dimer was determined. The coupling is highly anisotropic with the parameter values J =−2.24 meV and η =0.33 based on the effective coupling Hamiltonian H =−2J[S 1z S 2z +η(S 1x S 2x +S 1y S 2y )] . The anisotropy results mainly from the single-ion anisotropy of the Co 2+ ion in the distorted octahedral coordination.

Variable temperature inelastic neutron scattering study of chromium(II) Tutton salt: manifestation of the 5E⊗e Jahn–Teller effect

Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data are presented for the salt (ND 4 ) 2 Cr(OD 2 ) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 , which enable the zero-field-splitting of the 5 A g ( C i ) ground term of the [Cr(OD 2 ) 6 ] 2+ cation to be defined in the temperature range 1.5–297 K. Above ∼100 K, the energies of the INS transitions are strongly temperature-dependent, as are the documented Cr–O bond lengths. The experimental data are interpreted using a 5 E⊗e Jahn–Teller Hamiltonian perturbed by low symmetry strain. Good agreement is obtained using a parameter set analogous to that employed to describe the electronic and molecular structure of the [Cu(OD 2 ) 6 ] 2+ cation in the isostructural copper(II) salt.

Magnetic excitations in polyoxometalate tetrameric clusters

Abstract The metal-oxide clusters with formula [M4(D2O)2(PW9O34)2]10− which contain a tetrameric magnetic cluster M4O16 provide an ideal series for the study of magnetic exchange interactions in polymetallic molecular clusters. To get a more direct information on the splitting of the spin states caused by the exchange interactions we have performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the Co, Mn and Ni clusters. Magnetic excitations have been observed in the range 0.5–6 meV. A tentative interpretation of these data from a Heisenberg exchange Hamiltonian and a single ion zero-field splitting is presented for Ni cluster.