Synthesis and magnetic property of a telluryl radical

Abstract

Telluryl radicals are elusive species that have been characterized spectroscopically in the gas phase or under matrix isolation conditions. In this study, we present the synthesis, structural, and spectroscopic characterization of a stable telluryl radical supported by a sterically congested hydrindacene ligand. Structural characterization unveiled that it bears a one-coordinate tellurium atom. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled with wavefunction-based ab initio calculations substantiated that it possesses an orbitally doubly degenerate ground state and thereby strong magnetic anisotropy as manifested by the large difference of its three g components. Consequently, this telluryl radical exhibits a field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behavior, which is unprecedented for purely main-group radicals. This work not only provides structural and spectroscopic information on a long-sought-after telluryl radical, but also demonstrates the potential application of main-group radicals as a new class of magnetic materials.