Zhong-Wen Ouyang

Field-induced slow relaxation of magnetization in a tetrahedral Co(II) complex with easy plane anisotropy

The mononuclear Co(II) complex CoBr (dmph = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) was obtained and X-ray structurally characterized as a distorted tetrahedron environment that is responsible for the moderately strong positive anisotropy of high spin Co(II). In combination with variable-field magnetic susceptibility data at low temperature, high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) spectroscopy reveals the presence of easy-plane anisotropy (D > 0) in complex CoBr. Slow magnetic relaxation effects were observed for CoBr in the presence of a dc magnetic field. At very low temperatures, ac magnetic susceptibility data show the magnetic relaxation time, τ, to be temperature-independent, while above 2.4 K thermally activated Arrhenius behavior is dominated with Ueff = 22.8(8) cm(-1) and τ0 = 3.7(5) × 10(-10) s. Upon dilution of the complex within a matrix of the isomorphous compound ZnBr, ac susceptibility data reveal the individual molecular nature of the slow magnetic relaxation and indicate that the quantum tunneling pathway observed at low temperatures is likely mediated by intermolecular dipolar interactions.

Two-Coordinate Co(II) Imido Complexes as Outstanding Single-Molecule Magnets

The pursuit of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with better performance urges new molecular design that can endow SMMs larger magnetic anisotropy. Here we report that two-coordinate cobalt imido complexes featuring highly covalent Co═N cores exhibit slow relaxation of magnetization under zero direct-current field with a high effective relaxation barrier up to 413 cm-1, a new record for transition metal based SMMs. Two theoretical models were carried out to investigate the anisotropy of these complexes: single-ion model and Co-N coupling model. The former indicates that the pseudo linear ligand field helps to preserve the first-order orbital momentum, while the latter suggests that the strong ferromagnetic interaction between Co and N makes the [CoN]+ fragment a pseudo single paramagnetic ion, and that the excellent performance of these cobalt imido SMMs is attributed to the inherent large magnetic anisotropy of the [CoN]+ core with |MJ = ± 7/2⟩ ground Kramers doublet.

Tuning Transverse Anisotropy in Co-III-Co-II-Co-III Mixed-Valence Complex toward Slow Magnetic Relaxation

Two cobalt mixed-valence complexes with different substituents have been prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction to alter slow magnetic relaxation by tailoring the transverse anisotropy. The trinuclear complexes [(L(1))4Co3(H2O)2](NO3)4·CH3OH·5H2O (1-NO3) and [(L(2))4Co3(H2O)2](NO3)4·6H2O (2-NO3) feature a distorted octahedral Co(II) strongly hindered in a trinuclear Co(III)-Co(II)-Co(III) mixed-valence array. Detailed magnetic studies of 1-NO3 and 2-NO3 have been conducted using direct- and alternating-current magnetic susceptibility data. In accordance with variable-field magnetic susceptibility data at low temperatures, high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) spectroscopy reveals the presence of an easy-plane anisotropy (D > 0) with a significant transverse component, E, in complexes 1-NO3 and 2-NO3. These findings indicate that the onset of the variation of distortion within complex 2-NO3 leads to a suppression of quantum tunneling of the magnetization within the easy plane, resulting in magnetic bistability and slow relaxation behavior. Consequently, the anisotropy energy scale associated with the relaxation barrier, 5.46 cm(-1) (τo = 1.03 × 10(-5) s), is determined by the transverse E term. The results demonstrate that slow magnetic relaxation can be switched through optimization of the transverse anisotropy associated with magnetic ions that possess easy-plane anisotropy.

Uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of square-planar chromium(II) complexes revealed by magnetic and HF-EPR studies

Two mononuclear square-planar Cr(II) complexes are reported, exhibiting field-induced slow magnetic relaxation. The axial zero-field splitting parameter was unambiguously determined by both a high-frequency/field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) technique and magnetic measurements. This result represents the first observed single-molecule-magnet behavior in the square planar coordination geometry of any metal ions.

Supramolecular Interactions Direct the Formation of Two Structural Polymorphs from One Building Unit in a One‐Pot Synthesis

Two polymorphs of supramolecular isomers, a discrete dimer and a zig-zag chain, having the same chemical composition, [Mn(Hbit)Cl2 ] (Hbit=1-methyl-2-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole), were obtained solvothermally in a one-pot synthesis. The isomers differ in a number of ways: orange blocks versus pale-yellow needles, triclinic P1‾ versus orthorhombic Pbcn, double μ2 -Cl versus alternate single and triple μ2 -Cl, coordination number 5 versus 6, and antiparallel versus parallel near-neighbor orientation of Hbit. The packing in each case is driven by the supramolecular interactions, H-bonds (N-H⋅⋅⋅Cl, C-H⋅⋅⋅Cl) and π⋅⋅⋅π overlaps, calculated to be in the range 20-36 kcal mol-1 . Calculations gave a difference of only 2 kcal mol-1 in favor of the dimer, which confirms with the observation of principally the dimer at short reaction time. ESI-MS spectra of the dissolved crystals reveal the same fragments with similar distributions. The presence of two fragments at m/z 286.96 [MnIV (Hbit)Cl-2H]+ and 323.94 [MnIII (Hbit)Cl2 ]+ indicates that [Mn(Hbit)Cl2 ] is the building unit in both cases; thus, the different orientations of the ligands lead to the two polymorphs stabilized by the respective supramolecular interactions. Importantly, the chain form represents the first example with alternate single and triple μ2 -Cl bridges. The magnetic interactions are weakly antiferromagnetic in both cases, with J in the range 0.07-0.34 cm-1 ; however, high-field EPR analysis reveals moderate magneto-anisotropy with D=0.26(1) cm-1 , E=0.06(1) cm-1 and D=0.17(1) cm-1 , E=0.03(1) cm-1 , respectively.

Insights into Magnetic Interactions in a Monodisperse Gd12Fe14 Metal Cluster

The largest Ln-Fe metal cluster [Gd12 Fe14 (μ3 -OH)12 (μ4 -OH)6 (μ4 -O)12 (TEOA)6 (CH3 COO)16 (H2 O)8 ]⋅(CH3 COO)2 (CH3 CN)2 ⋅(H2 O)20 (1) and the core-shell monodisperse metal cluster of 1 a@SiO2 (1 a=[Gd12 Fe14 (μ3 -OH)12 (μ4 -OH)6 (μ4 -O)12 (TEOA)6 (CH3 COO)16 (H2 O)8 ]2+ ) were prepared. Experimental and theoretical studies on the magnetic properties of 1 and 1 a@SiO2 reveal that encapsulation of one cluster into one silica nanosphere not only effectively decreases intermolecular magnetic interactions but also significantly increases the zero-field splitting effect of the outer layer Fe3+ ions.

A two-dimensional cobalt(II) network with a remarkable positive axial anisotropy parameter exhibiting field-induced single-ion magnet behavior

Based on the 1H-3-(3-pyridyl)-5-(3′-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole (3,3′-Hbpt) ligand, {[Co(3,3′-Hbpt)2(SCN)2]·2H2O}n (1) and {[Ni(3,3′-Hbpt)2(SCN)2]·2H2O}n (2) have been prepared and structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The Co(II)/Ni(II) ions are bridged by the curved 3,3′-Hbpt ligands to generate helix chains, further forming a two-dimensional (2D) sheet in which Co(II)/Ni(II) ions are spatially separated from each other by a long spacer 3,3′-Hbpt ligand. Alternating-current magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the individual octahedral Co(II) ions in 1 exhibit field-induced slow magnetic relaxation, dominated by a Raman-like process. Compound 1 exhibits a very large positive axial anisotropy parameter (D = +70.1 cm−1) and a small transverse anisotropy parameter (|E| = 0.7 cm−1) by analysis of direct current magnetic data, which are further confirmed by high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Furthermore, the semiconducting behaviors of 1 and 2 were also studied, which could be used as wide-gap semiconductors.

Slow magnetic relaxation influenced by change of symmetry from ideal Ci to D3d in cobalt(II)-based single-ion magnets

The coordination geometries of the Co(ii) site in the two complexes [Co(imidazole)6][BPh4]2·0.3CH3CN (1) and [Co(imidazole)6][NO3]2 (2) were observed to display the ideal symmetries Ci and D3d, respectively. Both complexes were shown to be field-induced single-ion magnets. The effective energy barrier was found to decrease as the local symmetry changed from low-symmetry Ci to high-symmetry D3d.

Series of Highly Stable Lanthanide-Organic Frameworks Constructed by a Bifunctional Linker: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Magnetic and Luminescence Properties

By utilizing a preselected functional ligand produced by 1 H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid, three isostructural lanthanide coordination polymers (CPs), denoted as {[Ln2(OH)2(L)2]·(DMF)·(H2O)4} n (Ln = Gd (1), Eu (2), Dy (3); L = 1-(4-carboxybenzyl)imidazole-4-carboxylic acid), containing a 1D infinite [Ln4(OH)4] subchain have been successfully constructed. The highly connected mode between the multifunctional ligand and 1D building units is responsible for the exceptional chemical stability of three lanthanide CPs. In addition, a study of the magnetic properties reveals that 1 displays a large magnetic entropy change (-Δ Sm = 30.33 J kg-1 K-1 with T = 2 K and Δ H = 7 T). Furthermore, genetic algorithm and quantum Monte Carlo methods were combined to simulate the magnetic coupling parameters of compound 1, shedding light on the effect of linking bridges on magnetic propagation. 2 shows intense luminescence in the range of 350-710 nm. Comparably, magnetic studies of 3 reveal the existence of a metamagnetic transformation from an antiferromagnetic interaction to a ferromagnetic interaction along with a decrease in temperature. Through fitting of the results of HF-EPR measurements, a component of the g tensor is obtained, g|| = 16.4(5), indicating the large anisotropy of 3.

Syntheses, Structure, and 2/5 Magnetization Plateau of a 2D Layered Fluorophosphate Na3Cu5(PO4)4F·4H2O

A new two-dimensional (2D) fluorophosphate compound Na3Cu5(PO4)4F·4H2O with a Cu5 cluster has been synthesized using a conventional hydrothermal method. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with space group Pnma. The 2D layered structure is formed by cap-like {Cu5(PO4)4F} building units consisting of a Cu4O12F cluster plus a residual cap Cu2+ ion. Magnetic susceptibility exhibits a broad maximum at T2 = 19.2 K due to low-dimensional character followed by a long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at T1 = 11.5 K, which is further confirmed by the specific heat data. High-field magnetization measurement demonstrates a 2/5 quantum magnetization plateau above 40 T. The ESR data indicate the presence of magnetic anisotropy, in accordance with the 2D structure of the system.