Solvent-driven structures and slow magnetic relaxation behaviors of dinuclear dysprosium clusters

Abstract

Three dinuclear dysprosium compounds, [Dy2(dbm)2(L)2(H2O)2]·CH3CN (1), [Dy2(dbm)3(L)(HL)(CH3OH)]·CH3OH (2) and [Dy2(dbm)2(L)2(C2H5OH)2] (3) (H2L = N′-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-2-(hydroxyimino)-propanohydrazide, Hdbm = 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione), were successfully synthesized by controlling the reaction solvents. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveal that 1–3 all possess [Dy2O2] core, whereas their coordination solvents are different with two coordinated water molecules for 1, one coordinated methanol molecule for 2 and two coordinated ethanol molecules for 3. All the eight-coordinated Dy(III) ions of 1–3 are located in a distorted bicapped trigonal-prismatic (BCTP) geometry. Interestingly, magnetic investigation reveal that compounds 1–3 exhibit distinct slow magnetic relaxation behaviors with the energy barrier (2.29 ± 1.17) K for 1, (1.31 ± 1.05) K for 2 and (45.61 ± 3.24) K for 3. This work provides a promising strategy for the construction and regulation of lanthanide single-molecule magnetisms.