Single-molecule magnet engineering: building-block approaches

Abstract

Tailoring the specific magnetic properties of any material relies on the topological control of the constituent metal ion building blocks. Although this general approach does not seem to be easily applied to traditional inorganic bulk magnets, coordination chemistry offers a unique tool to delicately tune, for instance, the properties of molecules that behave as "magnets", the so-called single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Although many interesting SMMs have been prepared by a more or less serendipitous approach, the assembly of predesigned, isolatable molecular entities into higher nuclearity complexes constitutes an elegant and fascinating strategy. This Feature article focuses on the use of building blocks or modules (both terms being used indiscriminately) to direct the structure, and therefore also the magnetic properties, of metal ion complexes exhibiting SMM behaviour.

Comparative Magnetic Studies in the Solid State and Solution of Two Isostructural 1D Coordination Polymers Containing CoII/NiII-Curcuminoid Moieties

“…Compounds 1 and 2, with general formula as depicted [M(9Accm) 2 (4,4'-bpy)] n (M = Co II (1) and Ni II (2)), are the two first examples of 1D systems created by the addition of "[M(9Accm) 2 ]" building blocks connected through a neutral bridging ligand, in this case 4,4'-bpy. They were synthesized by using two different techniques: solvothermal methodology and a microwave assisted method.…”

“…Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) [1] and single-chain magnets (SCMs) [2] are promising candidates as components in high-density storage and/or spintronics devices [3][4][5][6]. Regarding SMMs, a fast-growing number of mononuclear 3d/4f compounds that display slow relaxation of the magnetization have recently been introduced [7][8][9].…”

Assembly of Mn(III) Schiff Base Complexes with Heptacyanorhenate (IV)

“…As the SMMs [11] and SCMs [9,39,40] (6). This certainly happened due to the low solubility of the latter.…”

“…Complexes of Mn(III) with a quadridentate Schiff base (SB) ligand are widely used by chemists for applications in biology [1][2][3][4], catalysis [5][6][7][8], and molecular magnetism [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. For a good reason, as many as eight Mn(III) ions of the twelve metallic centers are included in the first studied single-molecule magnet (SMM) Mn 12 O 12 (OA) 16 (H 2 O) 4 [16,17].…”

The First Homoleptic Complex of Seven-Coordinated Osmium: Synthesis and Crystallographical Evidence of Pentagonal Bipyramidal Polyhedron of Heptacyanoosmate(IV)

“…Almost 300 years later this compound, the mixed iron cyanide Fe III 4 [Fe II (CN) 6 ] 3 ·xH 2 O, named Prussian Blue became a focus of one of the most developed and extensively studied fields of coordination chemistry [4,5]. Cyanide-based compounds were found to act as photoswitchable magnetic solids [6][7][8][9][10], antidotes for radioactive poisoning [11], molecular sieves [12], hydrogen storage materials [13,14], high-temperature molecular magnets [15][16][17] and low-dimensional nanomagnets [18][19][20][21][22].…”