A simple change of the substituents in the bridging ligand allows tuning of the ordering temperatures, Tc, in the new family of layered chiral magnets A[M(II)M(III)(X2An)3]·G (A = [(H3O)(phz)3](+) (phz = phenazine) or NBu4(+); X2An(2-) = C6O4X2(2-) = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone derivative dianion, with M(III) = Cr, Fe; M(II) = Mn, Fe, Co, etc.; X = Cl, Br, I, H; G = water or acetone). Depending on the nature of X, an increase in Tc from ca. 5.5 to 6.3, 8.2, and 11.0 K (for X = Cl, Br, I, and H, respectively) is observed in the MnCr derivative. Furthermore, the presence of the chiral cation [(H3O)(phz)3](+), formed by the association of a hydronium ion with three phenazine molecules, leads to a chiral structure where the Δ-[(H3O)(phz)3](+) cations are always located below the Δ-[Cr(Cl2An)3](3-) centers, leading to a very unusual localization of both kinds of metals (Cr and Mn) and to an eclipsed disposition of the layers. This eclipsed disposition generates hexagonal channels with a void volume of ca. 20% where guest molecules (acetone and water) can be reversibly absorbed. Here we present the structural and magnetic characterization of this new family of anilato-based molecular magnets.

We report the synthesis, magnetic properties, electrical conductivity, and delamination into thin nanosheets of two anilato-based Fe(II)/Fe(III) mixed-valence two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Compounds [(HO)(HO)(phenazine)][FeFe(COX)]·12HO [X = Cl (1) and Br (2)] present a honeycomb layered structure with an eclipsed packing that generates hexagonal channels containing the water molecules. Both compounds show ferrimagnetic ordering at ca. 2 K coexisting with electrical conductivity (with room temperature conductivities of 0.03 and 0.003 S/cm). Changing the X group from Cl to Br leads to a decrease in the ordering temperature and room temperature conductivity that is correlated with the decrease of the electronegativity of X. Despite the ionic charge of the anilato-based layers, these MOFs can be easily delaminated in thin nanosheets with the thickness of a few monolayers.

Compound 4 also showed a strong emission band attributed to the Yb(III), suggesting an antenna effect of the ligand. An energy transfer diagram is proposed to explain these luminescent properties.

The similar bis-bidentate coordination mode of oxalato and anilato-based ligands is exploited here to create the first examples of 2D and 3D heterometallic lattices based on anilato ligands combining M(I) and a M(III) ions, phases already observed with oxalato but unknown with anilato-type ligands. These lattices are prepared with alkaline metal ions and magnetic chiral tris(anilato)metalate molecular building blocks: [M(III)(C6O4X2)3](3-) (M(III) = Fe and Cr; X = Cl and Br; (C6O4X2)(2-) = dianion of the 3,6-disubstituted derivatives of 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, H4C6O4). The new compounds include two very similar 2D lattices formulated as (PBu3Me)2[NaCr(C6O4Br2)3] (1) and (PPh3Et)2[KFe(C6O4Cl2)3](dmf)2 (2), both presenting hexagonal [M(I)M(III)(C6O4X2)3](2-) honeycomb layers with (PBu3Me)(+) in 1 or (PPh3Et)(+) and dmf in 2 inserted between them. Minor modifications in the synthetic conditions yield the novel 3D lattice (NEt3Me)[Na(dmf)][NaFe(C6O4Cl2)3] (3), in which hexagonal layers analogous to 1 and 2 are interconnected through Na(+) cations, and (NBu3Me)2[NaCr(C6O4Br2)3] (4), the first heterometallic 3D lattice based on anilato ligands. This compound presents two interlocked chiral 3D (10,3) lattices with opposite chiralities. Attempts to prepare 4 in larger quantities result in the 2D polymorph of compound 4 (4'). Magnetic properties of compounds 1, 3, and 4' are reported, and in all cases we observe, as expected, paramagnetic behaviors that can be satisfactorily reproduced with simple monomer models including a zero field splitting (ZFS) of the corresponding S = 3/2 for Cr(III) in 1 and 4' or S = 5/2 for Fe(III) in 3.

A complete study of the role played by the usually considered "innocent" cation in the synthesis of chiral tris(anilato)metalate magnetic complexes is presented. This study is based on the rational synthesis of the family of compounds formulated as A

Pre- and post-synthetic inclusion of solvent molecules in the anilato-based 2D honeycomb ferrimagnets (NBu4)[MnCr(C6O4Br2)]·G, G = PhCl, PhBr, PhI, PhCH3, PhCN and PhNO2, increases their ordering temperatures (from 5.5–6.3 K to 9.5–11.4 K).

The crucial role played by a crystallization water molecule in the spin crossover (SCO) temperature and its hysteresis is described and discussed in compound [NBu4][Fe(bpp)2][Cr(C6O4Br2)3]⋅2.5H2O (1), where bpp = 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine and (C6O4Br2)2− = dianion of the 3,6-dibromo-2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone. The compound has isolated [Fe(bpp)2]2+ cations surrounded by chiral [Cr(C6O4Br2)3]3− anions, NBu4+ cations, and a water molecule H-bonded to one of the non-coordinated N–H groups of one bpp ligand. This complex shows a gradual almost complete two-step spin transition centered at ca. 180 and 100 K with no hysteresis. The loss of the water molecules results in a phase transition from a P21/n phase with only one independent [Fe(bpp)2]2+ cation to a chiral Pn phase with two independent [Fe(bpp)2]2+ cations. Besides, there is an increase in the SCO temperature to 195/202 K with a hysteresis of ca. 7 K. In the dehydrated phase, only one of the two independent [Fe(bpp)2]2+ cations shows the SCO, whereas the second one remains in a high spin configuration at any temperature. In addition, compound 1 exhibits the LIESST (light-induced excited spin-state trapping) effect with a TLIESST of ca. 70 K.

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