Observation of Slow Relaxation and Single‐Molecule Toroidal Behavior in a Family of Butterfly‐Shaped Ln4 Complexes

A family of five isostructural butterfly complexes with a tetranuclear [Ln₄] core of the general formula [Ln₄(LH)₂(μ₂‐η¹η¹Piv)(η²‐Piv)(μ₃‐OH)₂]?x H₂O?y MeOH?z CHCl₃ ( 1 : Ln=Dy^III, x=2, y=2, z=0; 2 : Ln=Tb^III, x=0, y=0, z=6; 3 : Ln=Er^III, x=2, y=2, z=0; 4 : Ln=Ho^III, x=2, y=2, z=0; 5 : Ln=Yb^III, x=2, y=2, z=0; LH₄=6‐{[bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)amino]methyl}‐N′‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)picolinohydrazide; PivH=pivalic acid) was isolated and characterized both structurally and magnetically. Complexes 1 – 5 were probed by direct and alternating current (dc and ac) magnetic susceptibility measurements and, except for 1 , they did not display single‐molecule magnetism (SMM) behavior. The ac magnetic susceptibility measurements show frequency‐dependent out‐of‐phase signals with one relaxation process for complex 1 and the estimated effective energy barrier for the relaxation process was found to be 49 K. We have carried out extensive ab initio (CASSCF+RASSI‐SO+SINGLE_ANISO+POLY_ANISO) calculations on all the five complexes to gain deeper insights into the nature of magnetic anisotropy and the presence and absence of slow relaxation in these complexes. Our calculations yield three different exchange coupling for these Ln₄ complexes and all the extracted J values are found to be weakly ferro/antiferromagentic in nature (J₁=+2.35, J₂=?0.58, and J₃=?0.29 cm^?1 for 1 ; J₁=+0.45, J₂=?0.68, and J₃=?0.29 cm^?1 for 2 ; J₁=+0.03, J₂=?0.98, and J₃=?0.19 cm^?1 for 3 ; J₁=+4.15, J₂=?0.23, and J₃=?0.54 cm^?1 for 4 and J₁=+0.15, J₂=?0.28, and J₃=?1.18 cm^?1 for 5 ). Our calculations reveal the presence of very large mixed toroidal moment in complex 1 and this is essentially due to the specific exchange topology present in this cluster. Our calculations also suggest presence of single‐molecule toroics (SMTs) in complex 2 . For complexes 3 – 5 on the other hand, the transverse anisotropy was computed to be large, leading to the absence of slow relaxation of magnetization. As the magnetic field produced by SMTs decays faster than the normal spin moments, the concept of SMTs can be exploited to build qubits in which less interference and dense packing are possible. Our systematic study on these series of Ln₄ complexes suggest how the ligand design can help to bring forth such SMT characteristics in lanthanide complexes.     

The Construction of Open GdIII Metal–Organic Frameworks Based on Methanetriacetic Acid: New Objects with an Old Ligand

The preparation, X‐ray crystallography and magnetic investigation of the first examples of methanetriacetate (mta)‐containing lanthanide(III) complexes of formulae [Gd(mta)(H₂O)₃]_n ? 4 n H₂O ( 1 ) [Gd(mta)(H₂O)₃]_n ? 2 n H₂O ( 2 ) and [Gd₂(mta)₂(H₂O)₂]_n ? 2 n H₂O ( 3 ) are described herein. This tripodal ligand promotes the formation of 6³ networks; thus 1 consists of a honeycomb structure, whereas in 2 two of these layers are condensed to form a rare five‐connected two‐dimensional (4⁸6²) network. Compound 3 can be seen as an aggregation of 6³ layers leading to a three‐dimensional (6,6)‐connected binodal (4¹²6³)(4⁹6⁶)‐ nia net, in which the gadolinium(III) ions and the mta ligands act as octahedral and as trigonal prismatic nodes, respectively. The magnetic properties of 1 – 3 were investigated in the temperature range 1.9–300 K. A close fit to the Curie law ( 1 ) and weak either antiferro‐ [J=?0.0063(1) cm^?1 ( 2 )] or ferromagnetic [J=+0.0264(6) cm^?1 ( 3 )] interactions between the Gd^III ions are observed; the different exchange pathways involved [extended tris‐bidentate mta ( 1 ) and μ‐O(1);κ²O(1),O(2) ( 2 and 3 ) plus single syn–syn carboxylate‐mta ( 3 )] accounting for these magnetic features. The nature and magnitude of the magnetic interactions, between the Gd^III ions in 1 – 3 , agree with the small amount of data existing in the literature for these kind of bridges.     

pH‐Dependent Proton Conducting Behavior in a Metal–Organic Framework Material

A porous metal–organic framework (MOF), [Ni₂(dobdc)(H₂O)₂]?6 H₂O (Ni₂(dobdc) or Ni‐MOF‐74; dobdc^4?=2,5‐dioxido‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate) with hexagonal channels was synthesized using a microwave‐assisted solvothermal reaction. Soaking Ni₂(dobdc) in sulfuric acid solutions at different pH values afforded new proton‐conducting frameworks, H⁺@Ni₂(dobdc). At pH 1.8, the acidified MOF shows proton conductivity of 2.2×10^?2 S cm^?1 at 80 °C and 95 % relative humidity (RH), approaching the highest values reported for MOFs. Proton conduction occurs via the Grotthuss mechanism with a significantly low activation energy as compared to other proton‐conducting MOFs. Protonated water clusters within the pores of H⁺@Ni₂(dobdc) play an important role in the conduction process.     

One‐Dimensional Ferromagnetically Coupled Bimetallic Chains Constructed with trans‐[Ru(acac)2(CN)2]−: Syntheses,Structures, Magnetic Properties,and Density Functional Theoretical Study

Four cyano‐bridged 1D bimetallic polymers have been prepared by using the paramagnetic building block trans‐[Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂]^? (Hacac=acetylacetone): {[{Ni(tren)}{Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂}][ClO₄]?CH₃OH}_n ( 1 ) (tren=tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine), {[{Ni(cyclen)}{Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂}][ClO₄]? CH₃OH}_n ( 2 ) (cyclen=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane), {[{Fe(salen)}{Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂}]}_n ( 3 ) (salen^2?=N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)‐o‐ethyldiamine dianion) and [{Mn(5,5′‐Me₂salen)}₂{Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂}][Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂]? 2 CH₃OH ( 4 ) (5,5′‐Me₂salen=N,N′‐bis(5,5′‐dimethylsalicylidene)‐o‐ethylenediimine). Compounds 1 and 2 are 1D, zigzagged NiRu chains that exhibit ferromagnetic coupling between Ni^II and Ru^III ions through cyano bridges with J=+1.92 cm^?1, z J′=?1.37 cm^?1, g=2.20 for 1 and J=+0.85 cm^?1, z J′=?0.16 cm^?1, g=2.24 for 2 . Compound 3 has a 1D linear chain structure that exhibits intrachain ferromagnetic coupling (J=+0.62 cm^?1, z J′=?0.09 cm^?1, g=2.08), but antiferromagnetic coupling occurs between FeRu chains, leading to metamagnetic behavior with T_N=2.6 K. In compound 4 , two Mn^III ions are coordinated to trans‐[Ru(acac)₂(CN)₂]^? to form trinuclear Mn₂Ru units, which are linked together by π–π stacking and weak Mn???O* interactions to form a 1D chain. Compound 4 shows slow magnetic relaxation below 3.0 K with ?=0.25, characteristic of superparamagnetic behavior. The Mn^III???Ru^III coupling constant (through cyano bridges) and the Mn^III???Mn^III coupling constant (between the trimers) are +0.87 and +0.24 cm^?1, respectively. Compound 4 is a novel single‐chain magnet built from Mn₂Ru trimers through noncovalent interactions. Density functional theory (DFT) combined with the broken symmetry state method was used to calculate the molecular magnetic orbitals and the magnetic exchange interactions between Ru^III and M (M=Ni^II, Fe^III, and Mn^III) ions. To explain the somewhat unexpected ferromagnetic coupling between low‐spin Ru^III and high‐spin Fe^III and Mn^III ions in compounds 3 and 4 , respectively, it is proposed that apart from the relative symmetries, the relative energies of the magnetic orbitals may also be important in determining the overall magnetic coupling in these bimetallic assemblies.     

Hysteretic Spin Crossover above Room Temperature and Magnetic Coupling in Trinuclear Transition‐Metal Complexes with Anionic 1,2,4‐Triazole Ligands

The reaction of 4‐(1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)ethanesulfonate ( L ) with Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, and Fe²⁺ gave a series of analogous neutral trinuclear complexes with the formula [M₃(μ‐ L )₆(H₂O)₆] ( 1 – 5 ). These compounds were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and elemental analysis. The magnetic properties of compounds 2 – 5 were studied. Complexes 2 – 4 show weak antiferromagnetic superexchange, with J values of ?0.33 ( 2 ), ?9.56 ( 3 ), and ?4.50 cm^?1 ( 4 ) (exchange Hamiltonian H=?2 J (S₁S₂+S₂S₃)). Compound 5 shows two additional crystallographic phases ( 5 b and 5 c ) that can be obtained by dehydration and/or thermal treatment. These three phases exhibit distinct magnetic behavior. The Fe²⁺ centers in 5 are in high‐spin (HS) configuration at room temperature, with the central one exhibiting a non‐cooperative gradual spin transition below 250 K with T_1/2=150 K. In 5 b , the central Fe²⁺ stays in its low‐spin (LS) state at room temperature, and cooperative spin transition occurs at higher temperatures and with the appearance of memory effect (T_1/2↑=357 K and T_1/2↓=343 K). In the case of 5 c , all iron centers remain in their HS configuration down to very low temperatures, with weak antiferromagnetic coupling (J=?1.16 cm^?1). Compound 5 b exhibits spin transition with memory effect at the highest temperature reported, which matches the remarkable features of coordination polymers.     

Metal–Organic Frameworks Containing Missing‐Linker Defects Leading to High Hydroxide‐Ion Conductivity

The ionic conductivity properties of the face‐centered cubic [Ni₈(OH)₄(H₂O)₂(BDP_X)₆] (H₂BDP_X=1,4‐bis(pyrazol‐4‐yl)benzene‐4‐X with X=H ( 1 ), OH ( 2 ), NH₂ ( 3 )) metal–organic framework (MOF) systems as well as their post‐synthetically modified materials K[Ni₈(OH)₅(EtO)(BDP_X)_5.5] ( 1@KOH , 3@KOH ) and K₃[Ni₈(OH)₃(EtO)(BDP_O)₅] ( 2@KOH ), which contain missing‐linker defects, have been studied by variable temperature AC impedance spectroscopy. It should be noted that these modified materials exhibit up to four orders of magnitude increase in conductivity ^‐values in comparison to pristine 1 – 3 systems. As an example, the conductivity value of 5.86×10^?9 S cm^?1 (activation energy E_a of 0.60 eV) for 2 at 313 K and 22 % relative humidity (RH) increases up to 2.75×10^?5 S cm^?1 (E_a of 0.40 eV) for 2@KOH . Moreover, a further increase of conductivity values up to 1.16×10^?2 S cm^?1 and diminution of E_a down to 0.20 eV is achieved at 100 % RH for 2@KOH . The increased porosity, basicity and hydrophilicity of the 1@KOH – 3@KOH materials compared to the pristine 1 – 3 systems should explain the better performance of the KOH‐modified materials.     

Antiferromagnetic Interactions in 1D Heisenberg Linear Chains of 7‐(4‐Fluorophenyl) and 7‐Phenyl‐Substituted 1,3‐Diphenyl‐1,4‐dihydro‐ 1,2,4‐benzotriazin‐4‐yl Radicals

7‐(4‐Fluorophenyl) and 7‐phenyl‐substituted 1,3‐diphenyl‐1,4‐dihydro‐1,2,4‐benzotriazin‐4‐yl radicals were characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis and variable‐temperature magnetic susceptibility studies. The radicals pack in 1D π stacks of equally spaced slipped radicals with interplanar distances of 3.59 and 3.67 Å and longitudinal angles of 40.97 and 43.47°, respectively. Magnetic‐susceptibility studies showed that both radicals exhibit antiferromagnetic interactions. Fitting the magnetic data revealed that the behavior is consistent with 1D regular linear antiferromagnetic chain with J=?12.9 cm^?1, zJ′=?0.4 cm^?1, g=2.0069 and J=?11.8 cm^?1, zJ′=?6.5 cm^?1, g=2.0071, respectively. Magnetic‐exchange interactions in benzotriazinyl radicals are sensitive to the degree of slippage, and inter‐radical separation and subtle changes in structure alter the fine balance between ferro‐ and antiferromagnetic interactions.     

Magnetic Properties of Two New Fe4 Single‐Molecule Magnets in the Solid State and in Frozen Solution

Two novel tetranuclear, star‐shaped iron(III) clusters, [Fe₄(acac)₆(Br‐mp)₂] and [Fe^III₄(acac)₆(tmp)₂], are described. Both have S=5 ground states resulting from antiferromagnetic nearest‐neighbour superexchange interactions, with J=?8.2 cm^?1 and J=?8.5 cm^?1 for 1 and 2 , respectively. Energy barriers for the relaxation of the magnetisation of approximately 12 cm^?1 were derived from AC susceptibility measurements. Magnetic resonance measurements revealed a zero‐field splitting parameter D=?0.34 cm^?1 for both complexes. AC susceptibility measurements in solution demonstrated that the complexes are reasonably stable in solution. Interestingly, the magnetisation relaxation slows down significantly in frozen solution, in contrast to what is generally observed for single‐molecule magnets. This was shown to result from a large increase in τ₀, the prefactor in the Arrhenius equation, with the energy barrier remaining unchanged.     

Multifunctionality in Bimetallic LnIII[WV(CN)8]3− (Ln=Gd,Nd) Coordination Helices: Optical Activity,Luminescence, and Magnetic Coupling

Two chiral luminescent derivatives of pyridine bis(oxazoline) (Pybox), (SS/RR)‐iPr‐Pybox (2,6‐bis[4‐isopropyl‐2‐oxazolin‐2‐yl]pyridine) and (SRSR/RSRS)‐Ind‐Pybox (2,6‐bis[8H‐indeno[1,2‐d]oxazolin‐2‐yl]pyridine), have been combined with lanthanide ions (Gd³⁺, Nd³⁺) and octacyanotungstate(V) metalloligand to afford a remarkable series of eight bimetallic CN^?‐bridged coordination chains: {[Ln^III(SS/RR‐iPr‐Pybox)(dmf)₄]₃[W^V(CN)₈]₃}_n ? dmf ? 4 H₂O (Ln=Gd, 1 ‐SS and 1 ‐RR; Ln=Nd, 2 ‐SS and 2 ‐RR) and {[Ln^III(SRSR/RSRS‐Ind‐Pybox)(dmf)₄][W^V(CN)₈]}_n ? 5 MeCN ? 4 MeOH (Ln=Gd, 3 ‐SRSR and 3 ‐RSRS; Ln=Nd, 4 ‐SRSR and 4 ‐RSRS). These materials display enantiopure structural helicity, which results in strong optical activity in the range 200–450 nm, as confirmed by natural circular dichroism (NCD) spectra and the corresponding UV/Vis absorption spectra. Under irradiation with UV light, the Gd^III‐W^V chains show dominant ligand‐based red phosphorescence, with λ_max≈660 nm for 1 ‐(SS/RR) and 680 nm for 3 ‐(SRSR/RSRS). The Nd^III‐W^V chains, 2 ‐(SS/RR) and 4 ‐(SRSR/RSRS), exhibit near‐infrared luminescence with sharp lines at 986, 1066, and 1340 nm derived from intra‐f ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_{9/2,11/2,13/2} transitions of the Nd^III centers. This emission is realized through efficient ligand‐to‐metal energy transfer from the Pybox derivative to the lanthanide ion. Due to the presence of paramagnetic lanthanide(III) and [W^V(CN)₈]^3? moieties connected by cyanide bridges, 1 ‐(SS/RR) and 3 ‐(SRSR/RSRS) are ferrimagnetic spin chains originating from antiferromagnetic coupling between Gd^III (S_Gd=7/2) and W^V (S_W=1/2) centers with J _{1 ‐(SS)}=?0.96(1) cm^?1, J _{1 ‐(RR)}=?0.95(1) cm^?1, J _{3 ‐(SRSR)}=?0.91(1) cm^?1, and J _{3 ‐(RSRS)}=?0.94(1) cm^?1. 2 ‐(SS/RR) and 4 ‐(SRSR/RSRS) display ferromagnetic coupling within their Nd^III‐NC‐W^V linkages.     

Cyano-bridged Ln^3＋-Cr^3＋ Binuclear Complexes [Ln（L）x（H2O）y^- Cr（CN）6]·mL·nH2O （Ln=La-Nd,x=5, y=2, m=1 or 2, n=2 or 2.5; Ln-Sm-Dy,Er, x=4, y=3, m=0, n=1.5 or 2.0; L= 2-pyrrolidinone）： Structure,Magnetism and Spin Density Map

In order to shed light upon the nature and mechanism of 4f-3d magnetic exchange interactions, a series of binuclear complexes of lanthanide（3＋） and chromium（3＋） with the general formula [Ln（L）5（H2O）2Cr（CN）6]·mL· nH2O （Ln=La （1）, Ce （2）, Pr （3）, Nd （4）; x=5, y=2, m=1 or 2, n=2 or 2.5; L=2-pyrrolidinone） and [Ln（L）4（H2O）3Cr（CN）6] ·nH2O （Ln=Sm （5）, Eu （6）, Gd （7）, Tb （8）, Dy （9）, Er （10）; x=4, y=3, m=0, n= 1.5 or 2.0; L=2-pyrrolidinone） were prepared and the X-ray crystal structures of complexes 2, 6 and 7 were determined. All the compounds consist of a Ln-CN-Cr unit, in which Ln^3＋ in a square antiprism environment is bridged to an octahedral coordinated Cr^3＋ ion through a cyano group. The magnetic properties of the complexes 3 and 6-10 show an overall antiferromagnetic behavior. The fitting to the experimental magnetic susceptibilities of 7 give g= 1.98, J=0.40 cm^-1, zJ＇= -0.21 cm^-1 on the basis of a binuclear spin system （Scd=7/2, Scr=3/2）, revealing an intra-molecular Gd^3＋-Cr^3＋ ferromagnetic interaction and an inter-molecular antiferromagnetic interaction. For 7 the calculation of quantum chemical density functional theory （DFT）, combined with the broken symmetry approach, showed that the calculated spin coupling constant was 20.3 cm^-1, supporting the observation of weak ferromagnetic intra-molecular interaction in 7. The spin density distributions of 7 in both the high spin ground state and the broken symmetry state were obtained, and the spin coupling mechanism between Gd^3＋ and Cr^3＋ was discussed.     

Solvent‐Vapor‐Induced Reversible Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal Transformation of a Triphosphaazatriangulene‐Based Metal–Organic Framework

A triphosphaazatriangulene (H₃L) was synthesized through an intramolecular triple phospha‐Friedel–Crafts reaction. The H₃L triangulene contains three phosphinate groups and an extended π‐conjugated framework, which enables the stimuli‐responsive reversible transformation of [Cu(HL)(DMSO)?(MeOH)]_n, a 3D‐MOF that exhibits reversible sorption characteristics, into (H₃L?0.5 [Cu₂(OH)₄?6 H₂O] ?4 H₂O), a 1D‐columnar assembled proton‐conducting material. The hydrophilic nature of the latter resulted in a proton conductivity of 5.5×10^?3 S cm^?1 at 95 % relative humidity and 60 °C.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis,Structure, and Optical Properties of Two Nanosized Ln26@CO3 (Ln=Dy and Tb) Cluster‐Based Lanthanide–Transition‐Metal–Organic Frameworks (Ln MOFs)

Two Ln₂₆@CO₃ (Ln=Dy and Tb) cluster‐based lanthanide–transition‐metal–organic frameworks (Ln MOFs) formulated as [Dy₂₆Cu₃(Nic)₂₄(CH₃COO)₈(CO₃)₁₁(OH)₂₆(H₂O)₁₄]Cl ? 3 H₂O ( 1 ; HNic=nicotinic acid) and [Tb₂₆NaAg₃(Nic)₂₇(CH₃COO)₆(CO₃)₁₁(OH)₂₆Cl(H₂O)₁₅] ? 7.5 H₂O ( 2 ) have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal methods and characterized by IR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis, and single X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with a=35.775(12) Å, b=33.346(11) Å, c=24.424(8) Å, β=93.993(5)°, V=29065(16) ų, whereas 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P with a=20.4929(19) Å, b=24.671(2) Å, c=29.727(3) Å, α=81.9990(10)°, β=88.0830(10)°, γ=89.9940(10)°, V=14875(2) ų. Structural analysis indicates the framework of 1 is a 3D perovskite‐like structure constructed out of CO₃@Dy₂₆ building units and Cu⁺ centers by means of nicotinic acid ligand bridging. In 2 , however, nanosized CO₃@Tb₂₆ units and [Ag₃Cl]²⁺ centers are connected by Nic^? bridges to give rise to a 2D structure. It is worth mentioning that this kind of 4d–4f cluster‐based MOF is quite rare as most of the reported analogous compounds are 3d–4f ones. Additionally, the solid‐state emission spectra of pure compound 2 at room temperature suggest an efficient energy transfer from the ligand Nic^? to Tb³⁺ ions, which we called the “antenna effect”. Compound 2 shows a good two‐photon absorption (TPA) with a TPA coefficient of 0.06947 cm GM^?1 (1 GM=10^?50 cm⁴ s photon^?1), which indicates that compound 2 might be a good choice for third‐order nonlinear optical materials.     

Lanthanide‐Based Layer‐Type Two‐Dimensional Coordination Polymers Featuring Slow Magnetic Relaxation,Magnetocaloric Effect and Proton Conductivity

Three lanthanide‐based two‐dimensional (2D) coordination polymers (CPs), [Ln(L)(H₂O)₂]_n, {H₃L=(HO)₂P(O)CH₂CO₂H; Ln=Dy³⁺ (CP 1 ), Er³⁺ (CP 2 )} and [{Gd₂(L)₂(H₂O)₃}^.H₂O]_n, (CP 3 ) were hydrothermally synthesized using phosphonoacetic acid as a linker. Structural features revealed that the dinuclear Ln³⁺ nodes were present in the 2D sheet of CP 1 and CP 2 while in the case of CP 3 , nodes were further connected to each other forming a chain‐type arrangement throughout the network. The magnetic studies show field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation property in CP 1 and CP 2 with U_eff values of 72 K (relaxation time, τ₀=3.05×10^?7 s) and 38.42 K (relaxation time, τ₀=4.60×10^?8 s) respectively. Ab‐initio calculations suggest that the g tensor of Kramers doublet of the lanthanide ion (Dy³⁺ and Er³⁺) is strongly axial in nature which reflects in the slow magnetic relaxation behavior of both CPs. CP 3 exhibits a significant magnetocaloric effect with ?ΔS_m=49.29 J kg^?1 K^?1, one of the highest value among the reported 2D CPs. Moreover, impedance analysis of all the CPs show high proton conductivity with values of 1.13×10^?6 S cm^?1, 2.73×10^?3 S cm^?1 and 2, 6.27×10^?6 S cm^?1 for CPs 1 – 3 , respectively, at high temperature (>75 °C) and maximum 95 % relative humidity (RH).     

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: μ‐Oxo‐Diiron Corroles Revisited

For well over 20 years, μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles, first reported by Vogel and co‐workers in the form of μ‐oxo‐bis[(octaethylcorrolato)iron] (Mössbauer δ 0.02 mm s^?1, ΔE_Q 2.35 mm s^?1), have been thought of as comprising a pair antiferromagnetically coupled low‐spin Fe^IV centers. The remarkable stability of these complexes, which can be handled at room temperature and crystallographically analyzed, present a sharp contrast to the fleeting nature of enzymatic, iron(IV)‐oxo intermediates. An array of experimental and theoretical methods have now shown that the iron centers in these complexes are not Fe^IV but intermediate‐spin Fe^III coupled to a corrole^.2?. The intramolecular spin couplings in {Fe[TPC]}₂(μ‐O) were analyzed via DFT(B3LYP) calculations in terms of the Heisenberg–Dirac–van Vleck spin Hamiltonian H=J_Fe–corrole(S_Fe?S_corrole)+J_Fe–Fe′(S_Fe?S_Fe′)+J_{Fe′–corrole}(S_Fe′?S_corrole′), which yielded J_Fe–corrole=J_{Fe′–corrole′}=0.355 eV (2860 cm^?1) and J_Fe–Fe′=0.068 eV (548 cm^?1). The unexpected stability of μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles thus appears to be attributable to charge delocalization via ligand noninnocence.     

Gadolinium(III)‐Hydroxy Ladders Trapped in Succinate Frameworks with Optimized Magnetocaloric Effect

Two kinds of inorganic gadolinium(III)‐hydroxy “ladders”, [2×n] and [3×n], were successfully trapped in succinate (suc) coordination polymers, [Gd₂(OH)₂(suc)₂(H₂O)]_n ? 2n H₂O ( 1 ) and [Gd₆(OH)₈(suc)₅(H₂O)₂]_n ? 4n H₂O ( 2 ), respectively. Such coordination polymers could be regarded as alternating inorganic–organic hybrid materials with relatively high density. Magnetic and heat capacity studies reveal a large cryogenic magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in both compounds, namely (ΔH=70 kG) 42.8 J kg^?1 K^?1 for complex 1 and 48.0 J kg^?1 K^?1 for complex 2 . The effect of the high density is evident, which gives very large volumetric MCEs up to 120 and 144 mJ cm^?3 K^?1 for complexes 1 and 2 , respectively.     

A New Strategy for Storage and Transportation of Sensitive High‐Energy Materials: Guest‐Dependent Energy and Sensitivity of 3D Metal–Organic‐Framework‐Based Energetic Compounds

Reaction of Co(II) with the nitrogen‐rich ligand N,N‐bis(1H‐tetrazole‐5‐yl)‐amine (H₂bta) leads to a mixed‐valence, 3D, porous, metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based, energetic material with the nitrogen content of 51.78%, [Co₉(bta)₁₀(Hbta)₂(H₂O)₁₀]_n?(22 H₂O)_n ( 1 ). Compound 1 was thermohydrated to produce a new, stable, energetic material with the nitrogen content of 59.85% and heat of denotation of 4.537 kcal cm^?3, [Co₉(bta)₁₀(Hbta)₂(H₂O)₁₀]_n ( 2 ). Sensitivity tests show that 2 is more sensitivity to external stimuli than 1 , reflecting guest‐dependent energy and sensitivity of 3D, MOF‐based, energetic materials. Less‐sensitive 1 can be regarded as a more safe form for storage and transformation to sensitive 2 .     

Unprecedented Sensitization of Visible and Near‐Infrared Lanthanide Luminescence by Using a Tetrathiafulvalene‐Based Chromophore

Ligand L was synthesized and then coordinated to [Ln(hfac)₃] ? 2 H₂O (Ln^III=Tb, Dy, Er; hfac^?=1,1,1,5,5,5‐hexafluoroacetylacetonate anion) and [Ln(tta)₃]?2 H₂O (Ln^III=Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er, Yb; tta^?=2‐thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) to give two families of dinuclear complexes [Ln₂(hfac)₆( L )] ? C₆H₁₄ and [Ln₂(tta)₆( L )] ? 2 CH₂Cl₂. Irradiation of the ligand at 37 040 cm^?1 and 29 410 cm^?1 leads to tetrathiafulvalene‐centered and 2,6‐di(pyrazol‐1‐yl)‐4‐pyridine‐centered fluorescence, respectively. The ligand acts as an organic chromophore for the sensitization of the infrared Er^III (6535 cm^?1) and Yb^III (10 200 cm^?1) luminescence. The energies of the singlet and triplet states of L are high enough to guarantee an efficient sensitization of the visible Eu^III luminescence (17 300–14 100 cm^?1). The Eu^III luminescence decay can be nicely fitted by a monoexponential function that allows a lifetime estimation of (0.49±0.01) ms. Finally, the magnetic and luminescence properties of [Yb₂(hfac)₆( L )] ? C₆H₁₄ were correlated, which allowed the determination of the crystal field splitting of the ²F_7/2 multiplet state with M_J=±1/2 as ground states.     

A new one‐dimensional nickel metal–organic framework: catena‐poly[[[diaquabis(4‐{[(1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)sulfanyl]methyl}benzoato‐κO)nickel(II)]‐μ‐4,4′‐bipyridine‐κ2N:N′] monohydrate]

The title complex, {[Ni(C₁₅H₁₁N₄O₂S)₂(C₁₀H₈N₂)(H₂O)₂]·H₂O}_n, was synthesized by the reaction of nickel chloride, 4‐{[(1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)sulfanyl]methyl}benzoic acid (HL) and 4,4′‐bipyridine (bpy) under hydrothermal conditions. The asymmetric unit contains two half Ni^II ions, each located on an inversion centre, two L⁻ ligands, one bpy ligand, two coordinated water molecules and one unligated water molecule. Each Ni^II centre is six‐coordinated by two monodentate carboxylate O atoms from two different L⁻ ligands, two pyridine N atoms from two different bpy ligands and two terminal water molecules, displaying a nearly ideal octahedral geometry. The Ni^II ions are bridged by 4,4′‐bipyridine ligands to afford a linear array, with an Ni...Ni separation of 11.361 (1) Å, which is further decorated by two monodentate L⁻ ligands trans to each other, resulting in a one‐dimensional fishbone‐like chain structure. These one‐dimensional fishbone‐like chains are further linked by O—H...O, O—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions to form a three‐dimensional supramolecular architecture. The thermal stability of the title complex was investigated via thermogravimetric analysis.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Magnetic Behaviour of the new Tetrameric Gadolinium Carboxylate [Gd4(OH)4(CF3COO)8(H2O)4] · 2.5 H2O

The novel tetrameric gadolinium(III) compound [Gd₄(OH)₄(CF₃COO)₈(H₂O)₄] · 2.5 H₂O was synthesized and structurally characterized by X‐ray crystallography. The Gd³⁺ ions are bridged by hydroxide ions and carboxylate groups to tetramers with Gd³⁺‐Gd³⁺ distances between 384.2(2) and 388.1(2) pm. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (Z = 4). The magnetic behaviour of [Gd₄(OH)₄(CF₃COO)₈(H₂O)₄] · 2.5 H₂O was investigated in the temperature range of 2 to 300 K. The magnetic data of this compound indicate antiferromagnetic interactions (J_ex = ?0.0197 cm^?1).     

Hydroxo‐Bridged Dimers of Oxo‐Centered Ruthenium(III) Triangle: Synthesis and Spectroscopic and Theoretical Investigations

The homometallic hexameric ruthenium cluster of the formula [Ru^III₆(μ₃‐O)₂(μ‐OH)₂((CH₃)₃CCO₂)₁₂(py)₂] ( 1 ) (py=pyridine) is solved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on 1 suggest that the antiferromagnetic interaction between the Ru^III centers is dominant, and this is supported by theoretical studies. Theoretical calculations based on density functional methods yield eight different exchange interaction values for 1 : J₁=?737.6, J₂=+63.4, J₃=?187.6, J₄=+124.4, J₅=?376.4, J₆=?601.2, J₇=?657.0, and J₈=?800.6 cm^?1. Among all the computed J values, six are found to be antiferromagnetic. Four exchange values (J₁, J₆, J₇ and J₈) are computed to be extremely strong, with J₈, mediated through one μ‐hydroxo and a carboxylate bridge, being by far the largest exchange obtained for any transition‐metal cluster. The origin of these strong interactions is the orientation of the magnetic orbitals in the Ru^III centers, and the computed J values are rationalized by using molecular orbital and natural bond order analysis. Detailed NMR studies (¹H, ¹³C, HSQC, NOESY, and TOCSY) of 1 (in CDCl₃) confirm the existence of the solid‐state structure in solution. The observation of sharp NMR peaks and spin‐lattice time relaxation (T1 relaxation) experiments support the existence of strong intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the metal centers. A broad absorption peak around 600–1000 nm in the visible to near‐IR region is a characteristic signature of an intracluster charge‐transfer transition. Cyclic voltammetry experiments show that there are three reversible one‐electron redox couples at ?0.865, +0.186, and +1.159 V with respect to the Ag/AgCl reference electrode, which corresponds to two metal‐based one‐electron oxidations and one reduction process.