Recent advances of dinuclear dysprosium-based single-molecule magnets: from mechanisms to application

Lanthanide-based single-molecule magnets (Ln-SMMs) hold unique potential for applications in spintronic devices, ultra-high-density information storage and quantum information processing due to their distinctive structure and large intrinsic magnetic anisotropy. Dysprosium-based SMMs (Dy-SMMs) have emerged as extraordinary candidates for constructing SMMs with high-performance thanks to their large magnitude quantum number and anisotropy. However, quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM) in mononuclear systems results in a decrease of zero-field magnetization and a decrease or even loss of coercive force. The optimal solution to this issue is to increase the number of lanthanide ions in the SMM system, owing to the magnetic exchange interaction within the molecules that has a positive effect on suppressing QTM. Among multinuclear-based Dy-SMMs, dinuclear dysprosium SMMs (Dy₂-SMMs) have been selected as the simplest model to investigate the effect of magnetic interaction on QTM. However, previous studies have not clearly elucidated how magnetic exchange in the Dy₂-SMM system affects slow magnetic relaxation. Hence, this review attempts to elucidate the intricate relaxation mechanism of Dy₂-SMMs. The strategies for designing and manipulating Dy₂-SMMs are also discussed in detail. Meanwhile, the development of Dy₂-SMM-based multifunctional materials is summarized in this review. This study investigates the relaxation mechanisms and magneto-structural correlations in Dy₂-SMMs, offering strategies for the design and synthesis of high-performance Dy₂-SMMs (HP-Dy₂-SMMs) to advance research in this field.