X-ray absorption spectroscopy stud ies of the [MnIllGCrlll)1' single-mo lecu le magnet deposited as a microcrystalline layer on go ld substrates are presented. The oxidation state of the manganese cente rs cha nges from Mnlll to Mn" due to irradiatio n with soft X-rays. The influence of the charge-neutralizing anions on the stability of [MnIll 6Crlll)1' aga inst soft X-ray exposure is investigated for the different a nions tetraphenylborate (BPh 4-), lactate (C3HS0 3-) and perchlorate «(10 4-), The exposure d e pendence of the radiation-induced reduction process is compared for [MnIllGCrlll)1' with the three different anions.

Properties of the manganese-based single-molecule magnet [Mn(6)(III)Cr(III)](3+) are studied. It contains six Mn(III) ions arranged in two bowl-shaped trinuclear triplesalen building blocks linked by a hexacyanochromate and exhibits a large spin ground state of S(t) = 21/2. The dominant structures in the electron emission spectra of [Mn(6)(III)Cr(III)](3+) resonantly excited at the L(3)-edge are the L(3)M(2, 3)M(2, 3), L(3)M(2, 3)V and L(3)VV Auger emission groups following the decay of the primary p(3/2) core hole state. Significant differences of the Auger spectra from intact and degraded [Mn(6)(III)Cr(III)](3+) show up. First measurements of the electron spin polarization in the L(3)M(2, 3)V and L(3)VV Auger emission peaks from the manganese constituents in [Mn(6)(III)Cr(III)](3+) resonantly excited at the L(3)-edge near 640 eV by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation are reported. In addition spin resolved Auger electron spectra of the reference substances MnO, Mn(2)O(3) and Mn(II)(acetate)(2)·4H(2)O are given. The applicability of spin resolved electron spectroscopy for characterizing magnetic states of constituent atoms compared to magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) is verified: the spin polarization obtained from Mn(II)(acetate)(2)·4H(2)O at room temperature in the paramagnetic state compares to the MCD asymmetry revealed for a star-shaped molecule with a Mn(4)(II)O(6) core at 5 K in an external magnetic field of 5 T.

We report on the characterization of various salts of [MnIII6CrIII]3+ complexes prepared on substrates such as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), mica, SiO2, and Si3N4. [MnIII6CrIII]3+ is a single-molecule magnet, i.e., a superparamagnetic molecule, with a blocking temperature around 2 K. The three positive charges of [MnIII6CrIII]3+ were electrically neutralized by use of various anions such as tetraphenylborate (BPh4-), lactate (C3H5O3-), or perchlorate (ClO4-). The molecule was prepared on the substrates out of solution using the droplet technique. The main subject of investigation was how the anions and substrates influence the emerging surface topology during and after the preparation. Regarding HOPG and SiO2, flat island-like and hemispheric-shaped structures were created. We observed a strong correlation between the electronic properties of the substrate and the analyzed structures, especially in the case of mica where we observed a gradient in the analyzed structures across the surface.

3+ structural type adsorbed thin films prepared on Si and gold-coated glass substrates have been experimentally studied by means of spin-polarized electron spectroscopy (SPES) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Fe L 3,2 edge using circularly-polarized synchrotron radiation. The results are cross-compared to the corresponding data obtained from the recently published measurements with Mn-based SMM [1], also in terms of the local spin and orbital magnetic moments obtained. Furthermore, [Fe III 6 Cr III ] 3+ single crystals have been experimentally studied by means of magnetometry and X-ray diffraction.

Monolayers and submonolayers of [Mn III 6 Cr III ] 3+ single-molecule magnets (SMMs) adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) using the droplet technique characterized by non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) as well as by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) show island-like structures with heights resembling the height of the molecule. Furthermore, islands were found which revealed ordered 1D as well as 2D structures with periods close to the width of the SMMs. Along this, islands which show half the heights of intact SMMs were observed which are evidences for a decomposing process of the molecules during the preparation. Finally, models for the structure of the ordered SMM adsorbates are proposed to explain the observations.