Air-stable pentagonal-bipyramidal dysprosium(III) single-molecule magnets with sulfur-containing macrocycle equatorial ligand

Abstract

The fabrication of electronic devices utilizing single-molecule magnets (SMMs) requires the deposition on conducting surfaces which usually are thiophilic elements such as gold, silver and copper. Thus, SMMs possess sulphur containing ligands that are capable to attach onto such surfaces through chemical bonding are fascinated. Here we designed and successfully isolated a series of pentagonal-bipyramidal dysprosium(III) compounds with sulfur-containing macrocycle PYNS ligand, [Dy(LA)2(PYNS)][BPh4] (PYNS = 2,6-bis(4-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazol-2-yl)pyridine; for LA- = tBuO-, 1Dy; for LA- = (S)-PhEtO-, 2Dy; for LA- = CF3PhMeO-, 3Dy; for LA- = Ph3SiO-, 4Dy; for LA- = (tBuO)3SiO-, 5Dy). They exhibit zero-field SMM behaviour with the effective energy barrier Ueff between 679 and 807 K, and the magnetic blocking temperatures TBIRREV for 3Dy and 5Dy are determined as 2.5 K while 3 K for 4Dy. The sulfur atoms at the peripheral position of PYNS are expected as a linker to absorb the molecules onto the gold surfaces.