Javeed Ahmad Sheikh

High Nuclearity (Octa-, Dodeca-, and Pentadecanuclear) Metal (M = CoII, NiII) Phosphonate Cages: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetic Behavior

The synthesis, structural characterization, and magnetic property studies of five new transition metal (M = Co, Ni) phosphonate-based cages are reported. Three substituted phenyl and benzyl phosphonate ligands [RPO3H2; R1 = p-tert-butylbenzyl, R2 = p-tert-butylphenyl, R3 = 3-chlorobenzyl] were synthesized and employed to seek out high-nuclearity cages. Complexes 1-3 are quasi-isostructural and feature a dodecanuclear metal-oxo core having the general molecular formula of [M12(μ3-OH)4 (O3PR)4(O2C(t)Bu)6 (HO2C(t)Bu)6(HCO3)6] {M = Co, Ni and R = R1 for 1 (Co12), R2 for 2, 3 (Co12, Ni12)}. The twelve metal centers are arranged at the vertices of a truncated tetrahedron in a manner similar to Keggin ion. Complex 4 is an octanuclear nickel phosphonate cage [Ni8(μ3-OH)4 (OMe)2(O3PR1)2 (O2C(t)Bu)6(HO2C(t)Bu)8], and complex 5 represents a pentadecanuclear cobalt phosphonate cage, [Co15(chp)8(chpH) (O3PR3)8(O2C(t)Bu)6], where chpH = 6-chloro-2-hydroxypyridine. Structural investigation reveals some interesting geometrical features in the molecular cores, which may provide new models in single molecular magnetic materials. Magnetic property measurements of compounds 1-5 indicate the coexistence of both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions between magnetic centers for all cages.

Magnetic refrigeration and slow magnetic relaxation in tetranuclear lanthanide cages (Ln = Gd, Dy) with in situ ligand transformation

Three new Ln3+ coordination compounds having formulae, [Gd4(μ3-OH)2(L)2L1L2(HOCH3)2]·11H2O (1), [Dy4(μ3-OH)2(L)2L1L2(H2O)2]·11H2O (2) and [Dy4(μ4-O)(OMe)(HOMe)2(CH3COO)3(L3)2]·2H2O (3), have been synthesized in a one pot synthesis from O-vanillin, diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN), LnCl3·6H2O (Ln = Gd3+, Dy3+) and sodium acetate for 3, {H2L = 2,3-bis((E)-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzylidene) amino)maleonitrile, HL1 = (2-amino-3-((E)-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzylidene)amino)maleonitrile), H3L2 = ((1E,3Z,8Z,10E)-1,6,11-tris(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2,5,7,10-tetraazaundeca-1,3,8,10-tetraene-3,4,8,9-tetracarbonitrile) and H2L3 = 2-((cyano(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl)amino)-3-((E)-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)maleonitrile. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that compounds 1 and 2 are quasi-isostructural, exhibiting tetranuclear hemicubane-like cores. For 3 the metal centers are arranged in a tetrahedral arrangement. Complexes 1–3 were formed with the ligands (L1–L3), which resulted in situ during synthesis. Magnetic studies reveal that compound 1 shows significant magnetocaloric effect (ΔSm = −27.2 J kg−1 K−1) at 3 K and 7 T. The magnetic properties of 2 and 3 are considerably different. Indeed, no out-of-phase alternating current (ac) signal is noticed for 2, whereas 3 shows a slow relaxation of magnetization. These differences are most likely due to the different Dy–O–Dy angles observed for the respective cores.

An unprecedented octadecanuclear copper(II) pyrazolate-phosphonate nanocage: synthetic, structural, magnetic, and mechanistic study.

A novel octadecanuclear copper pyrazolate-phosphonate nanocage with a bowl-shaped arrangement of the copper(II) centers in the asymmetric unit is reported. Characterization of intermediates in both solid and solution states aids to propose the mechanism of such a giant aggregation. Magnetic studies affirm the presence of antiferromagnetic interactions between the adjacent copper(II) centers. Extensive supramolecular interactions result in a framework structure.

Correction to Serendipitous Assemblies of Two Large Phosphonate Cages: A Co15 Distorted Molecular Cube and a Co12 Butterfly Type Core Structure

This report describes the synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties of two novel phosphonate-based Co(II) cages. Structural investigation reveals some interesting geometrical features in the molecular core that may provide new models in single molecular magnetic materials.

Phosphonate Based High Nuclearity Magnetic Cages

Transition metal based high nuclearity molecular magnetic cages are a very important class of compounds owing to their potential applications in fabricating new generation molecular magnets such as single molecular magnets, magnetic refrigerants, etc. Most of the reported polynuclear cages contain carboxylates or alkoxides as ligands. However, the binding ability of phosphonates with transition metal ions is stronger than the carboxylates or alkoxides. The presence of three oxygen donor sites enables phosphonates to bridge up to nine metal centers simultaneously. But very few phosphonate based transition metal cages were reported in the literature until recently, mainly because of synthetic difficulties, propensity to result in layered compounds, and also their poor crystalline properties. Accordingly, various synthetic strategies have been followed by several groups in order to overcome such synthetic difficulties. These strategies mainly include use of small preformed metal precursors, proper choice of coligands along with the phosphonate ligands, and use of sterically hindered bulky phosphonate ligands. Currently, the phosphonate system offers a library of high nuclearity transition metal and mixed metal (3d-4f) cages with aesthetically pleasing structures and interesting magnetic properties. This Account is in the form of a research landscape on our efforts to synthesize and characterize new types of phosphonate based high nuclearity paramagnetic transition metal cages. We quite often experienced synthetic difficulties with such versatile systems in assembling high nuclearity metal cages. Few methods have been emphasized for the self-assembly of phosphonate systems with suitable transition metal ions in achieving high nuclearity. We highlighted our journey from 2005 until today for phosphonate based high nuclearity transition metal cages with V(IV/V), Mn(II/III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) metal ions and their magnetic properties. We observed that slight changes in stoichiometry, reaction conditions, and presence or absence of coligand played crucial roles in determining the final structure of these complexes. Most of the complexes included are regular in geometry with a dense arrangement of the above-mentioned metal centers in a confined space, and a few of them also resemble regular polygonal solids (Archimedean and Platonic). Since there needs to be a historical approach for a comparative study, significant research output reported by other groups is also compared in brief to ensure the potential of phosphonate ligands in synthesizing high nuclearity magnetic cages.

Heterometallic CoIII–GdIII Clusters as Magnetic Refrigerants

Two heterometallic Co(III)-Gd(III) nanomagnets (Co2Gd6 and Co2Gd9) with defective dicubane-like cores were isolated from the same set of reactants by varying the reaction conditions. These are the first examples of cobalt(III)-gadolinium(III) phosphonate compounds and a rare class of compounds with large 4f ratio among the reported 3d-4f complexes. Magnetic studies reveal large magnetic entropy changes for both complexes (-ΔSm = 27.81 and 33.07 J kg(-1) K(-1), respectively at 3 K and 7 T).

Synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic study and magneto-structural correlation of three Cu(II) complexes formed via pyridine bis(hydrazone) based ligand

This report describes the synthesis and characterization of three different complexes of molecular formulae {[Cu6L2(ClO4)4(μ-ClO4)2(H2O)9](ClO4)2·8H2O}n(1), [Cu6L2Cl6(μ2-Cl)2(H2O)2]·3H2O (2) and [Cu9L6](ClO4)6·6H2O·2CH3CN·CH3OH (3), where, H2L = bis[(2-pyridyl)methylene] pyridine 2,6 dicarbohydrazone. X-ray crystallography reveals that complex 1 exhibits 1D chain, complex 2 is a hexanuclear entity and an unsymmetrical [3 × 3] grid formation in complex 3. Variable temperature magnetic measurements were performed, they show that weak antiferromagnetic interactions exist among the metal centers in complex 1 and both ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions coexist for complexes 2 and 3. Below 20 K antiferromagnetic interactions dominate for complex 2 whereas it is ferromagnetic for complex 3. Transformation from one cage to another is possible at mild reaction conditions, which results in a dramatic change in the magnetic properties.

Modulating Magnetic Refrigeration through Structural Variation in CoII/III–GdIII Clusters

Three heterometallic aggregates, [(CoII)2(GdIII)2(tBuPO3)2(O2CtBu)2(HO2CtBu)2(NO3)4]·NEt3 (1), [(CoII)2(CoIII)2(GdIII)3(μ3-OH)2(tBuPO3)2(O2CtBu)9(deaH)2(H2O)2] (2), and (CoIII)2(GdIII)5(μ2-OH)(μ3-OH)2(tBuPO3)2(O2CtBu)10(HO2CtBu)(deaH)2]·MeOH (3), were successfully isolated in reactions of [Co2(μ-OH2)(O2CtBu)4]·(HO2CtBu)4, Gd(NO3)3·6H2O, tBu-PO3H2, and diethanolamine (deaH3) by varying the stoichiometry of the reactants and/or changing the solvent. The structures of the final products were profoundly affected by these minor changes in stoichiometry or a change in solvent. The metal-oxo core of these complexes displays a hemicubane or a defective dicubane-like view. Bond valence sum calculations and bond lengths indicate the presence of CoII centers in compound 1, mixed valent Co centers (CoII/CoIII) in compound 2, and only CoIII centers in compound 3 as required for the charge balances and supported by the magnetic measurements. Magnetic studies reveal significant magnetic entropy changes for complexes 1-3 (-ΔSm values of 28.14, 25.06, and 29.19 J kg-1 K-1 for 3 K and 7 T, respectively). This study shows how magnetic refrigeration can be affected by anisotropy, magnetic interactions (ferro- or antiferromagnetic), the metal/ligand ratio, and the content of GdIII in the molecule.