Slow magnetic relaxation in a cobalt magnetic chain

A homospin ladder-like chain, [Co(Hdhq)(OAc)](n) (1; H(2)dhq = 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline), shows a single-chain-magnet-like (SCM-like) behavior with the characteristics of frequency dependence of the out-of-phase component in alternating current (ac) magnetic susceptibilities and hysteresis loops.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in novel Dy4 and Dy8 compounds

Two novel dysprosium(III) clusters have been prepared and structurally characterized. One has a tetranuclear core with a rare zigzag arrangement, and the other is an unprecedented octanuclear cluster with six triangular Dy(3) units sharing vertices. Both dysprosium(III) clusters possess frequency-dependent on alternating-current magnetic susceptibilities, indicating possible single-molecule magnet behavior.     

Two three-dimensional metal-organic frameworks containing one-dimensional hydroxyl/carboxylate mixed bridged metal chains: syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties

Two novel three-dimensional complexes formulated as [M(3)(bime)2(mu3-OH)2(HO-BDC)2]n (M = Co, 1; Cu, 2) [bime = 1,2-bis(imidazol-1'-yl)ethane, HO-H2BDC = 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid] have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized. Both 1 and 2 exhibit similar structural frameworks resulting from one-dimensional metal/oxygen chains extended by HO-BDC, but the bridging modes of HO-BDC and coordination environments of metal centers are different. Complexes 1 and 2 crystallize in the orthorhombic system, space group Pbcn, a = 18.458(2) [18.2119(12) for 2] Angstroms, b = 12.0616(14) [11.6847(7)] Angstroms, c = 11.4859(14) [12.0688(6)] Angstroms, and Z = 4 (4). Magnetic studies show that 1 displays a slow magnetic relaxation, a large hysteresis, and distinct finite-size effects and 2 contains an antiferromagnetic chain.     

Capping ligand perturbed slow magnetic relaxation in dysprosium single-ion magnets

Single-ion magnets 1 and 2 and their diamagnetic analogues 3 and 4 for magnetic-site dilution were obtained through substitution of the coordinated water molecules of [Ln(TTA)(3)(H(2)O)(2)] (Ln=Dy (1, 2), Y (3, 4); TTA=4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedionate) by 2,2'-bipyridine (1, 3) and 1,10-phenanthroline (2, 4) capping ligands. Their structures and magnetic properties were investigated with the goal of identifying features relevant to modulating relaxation dynamics of single-ion magnets. The metal ions in all complexes adopt an approximately square-antiprismatic (SAP) O(6)N(2) coordination environment. The SAP polyhedrons for both 1 and 2 show slight longitudinal compression, while the coordination sphere of 1 deviates more from an ideal SAP than that of 2, as indicated by the skew angles of the SAP environment. The similar values of U(eff) for the two magnetically diluted samples imply nearly the same distribution of low-lying states for their Dy(III) centers, which is consistent with the slight axial contraction observed for 1 and 2 and further corroborated by ligand-field analysis. The fast quantum tunneling rate τ(QTM) of 1, which is about ten times faster than that of 2, can presumably be associated with the larger rotation of the SAP surroundings. This distortion may result in a significant transverse anisotropy terms, and thus strongly affect the dynamic behavior of the system.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in a novel heptanuclear Dy7 cluster with five edge-sharing Dy3 triangles

A unique Dy₇ cluster with five edge-sharing Dy₃ triangles has been synthesized by incorporating the polydentate oxime ligand, 3-methyloxysalicylaldoxime, in two different binding modes in its mono- and di-deprotonated state. Both static (dc) and dynamic (ac) magnetic properties of 1 have been studied, possible single-molecule magnet behavior is observed, expanding upon the recent reports of the pure 4f type SMM.     

Extending N-heterocyclic carbene ligands into the third dimension: a new type of hybrid phosphazane/NHC system

A simple, “click” synthetic approach to a new type of hybrid phosph(III)azane/NHC system is described. The presence of the phosphazane P₂N₂ ring unit, with P atoms flanking the NCN fragment and with this ring perpendicular to the binding site of the NHC, provides unique opportunities for modifying the electronic and steric character of these carbenes.     

Double-walled pyr topology networks from a novel fluoride-bridged heptanuclear metal cluster

Two isostructural metal–organic materials, Tripp-1-M (Tripp = 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)pyridine; M = Co, Ni), that exhibit binodal 3,6-connected pyr network topology have been prepared and characterized. Tripp-1-M are based upon a novel M₇F₁₂²⁺ cluster that possesses 12 connection points but, because of double cross-linking by 3-connected Tripp ligands, it functions as a 6-connected supermolecular building block (SBB).     

Slow relaxation of the magnetization in non-linear optical active layered mixed metal oxalate chains

New Co(II) members of the family of multifunctional materials of general formula [DAMS](4)[M(2)Co(C(2)O(4))(6)]·2DAMBA·2H(2)O (M(III) = Rh, Fe, Cr; DAMBA = para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and [DAMS(+)] = trans-4-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-1-methylpyridinium) have been isolated and characterized. Such new hybrid mixed metal oxalates are isostructural with the previously investigated containing Zn(II), Mn(II), and Ni(II). This allows to preserve the exceptional second harmonic generation (SHG) activity, due to both the large molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability of [DAMS(+)] and the efficiency of the crystalline network which organizes [DAMS(+)] into head-to-tail arranged J-type aggregates, and to further tune the magnetic properties. In particular, the magnetic data of the Rh(III) derivative demonstrate that high spin octacoordinated Co(II) centers behave very similarly to the hexacoordinated Co(II) ones, being dominated by a large orbital contribution. The Cr(III) derivative is characterized by ferromagnetic Cr(III)-Co(II) interactions. Most relevantly, the Fe(III) compound is characterized by a moderate antiferromagnetic interaction between Fe(III) and Co(II), resulting in a ferrimagnetic like structure. Its low temperature dynamic magnetic properties were found to follow a thermally activated behavior (τ(0) = 8.6 × 10(-11) s and ΔE = 21.4 K) and make this a candidate for the second oxalate-based single chain magnet (SCM) reported up to date, a property which in this case is coupled to the second order non linear optical (NLO) ones.     

Direct electrochemical detection of individual collisions between magnetic microbead/silver nanoparticle conjugates and a magnetized ultramicroelectrode

Here, we report on the electrochemical detection of individual collisions between a conjugate consisting of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) linked to conductive magnetic microbeads (cMμBs) via DNA hybridization and a magnetized electrode. The important result is that the presence of the magnetic field increases the flux of the conjugate to the electrode surface, and this in turn increases the collision frequency and improves the limit of detection (20 aM). In addition, the magnitude of the charge associated with the collisions is greatly enhanced in the presence of the magnetic field. The integration of DNA into the detection protocol potentially provides a means for using electrochemical collisions for applications in biological and chemical sensing.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in a pseudotetrahedral cobalt(II) complex with easy-plane anisotropy

A pseudotetrahedral cobalt(II) complex with a positive axial zero-field splitting parameter of D = 12.7 cm(-1), as determined by high-field EPR spectroscopy, is shown to exhibit slow magnetic relaxation under an applied dc field.     

Stimuli-responsive hybrid materials: breathing in magnetic layered double hydroxides induced by a thermoresponsive molecule

A hybrid magnetic multilayer material of micrometric size, with highly crystalline hexagonal crystals consisting of CoAl–LDH ferromagnetic layers intercalated with thermoresponsive 4-(4-anilinophenylazo)benzenesulfonate (AO5) molecules diluted (ratio 9 : 1) with a flexible sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) surfactant has been obtained. The resulting material exhibits thermochromism attributable to the isomerization between the azo (prevalent at room temperature) and the hydrazone (favoured at higher temperatures) tautomers, leading to a thermomechanical response. In fact, these crystals exhibited thermally induced motion triggering remarkable changes in the crystal morphology and volume. In situ variable temperature XRD of these thin hybrids shows that the reversible change into the two tautomers is reflected in a shift of the position of the diffraction peaks at high temperatures towards lower interlayer spacing for the hydrazone form, as well as a broadening of the peaks reflecting lower crystallinity and ordering due to non-uniform spacing between the layers. These structural variations between room temperature (basal spacing (BS) = 25.91 Å) and 100 °C (BS = 25.05 Å) are also reflected in the magnetic properties of the layered double hydroxide (LDH) due to the variation of the magnetic coupling between the layers. Overall, our study constitutes one of the few examples showing fully reversible thermo-responsive breathing in a 2D hybrid material. In addition, the magnetic response of the hybrid can be modulated due to the thermotropism of the organic component that, by influencing the distance and in-plane correlation of the inorganic LDH, modulates the magnetism of the CoAl–LDH sheets in a certain range.     

Experiences with a researcher-centric ELN

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) are progressively replacing traditional paper books in both commercial research establishments and academic institutions. University researchers require specific features from ELNs, given the need to promote cross-institutional collaborative working, to enable the sharing of procedures and results, and to facilitate publication. The LabTrove ELN, which we use as our exemplar, was designed to be researcher-centric (i.e., not only aimed at the individual researcher''s basic needs rather than to a specific institutional or subject or disciplinary agenda, but also able to be tailored because it is open source). LabTrove is being used in a heterogeneous set of academic laboratories, for a range of purposes, including analytical chemistry, X-ray studies, drug discovery and a biomaterials project. Researchers use the ELN for recording experiments, preserving data collected, and for project coordination. This perspective article describes the experiences of those researchers from several viewpoints, demonstrating how a web-based open source electronic notebook can meet the diverse needs of academic researchers.     

Oxygen diffusion pathways in a cofactor-independent dioxygenase

Molecular oxygen plays an important role in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions. Through recent research efforts combining computational and experimental methods a new view of O₂ diffusion is emerging, where specific channels guide O₂ to the active site. The focus of this work is DpgC, a cofactor-independent oxygenase. Molecular dynamics simulations, together with mutagenesis experiments and xenon-binding data, reveal that O₂ reaches the active site of this enzyme using three main pathways and four different access points. These pathways connect a series of dynamic hydrophobic pockets, concentrating O₂ at a specific face of the enzyme substrate. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations provide information about which pathways are more frequently used. This data is consistent with the results of kinetic measurements on mutants and is difficult to obtain using computational cavity-location methods. Taken together, our results reveal that although DpgC is rare in its ability of activating O₂ in the absence of cofactors or metals, the way O₂ reaches the active site is similar to that reported for other O₂-using proteins: multiple access channels are available, and the architecture of the pathway network can provide regio- and stereoselectivity. Our results point to the existence of common themes in O₂ access that are conserved among very different types of proteins.     

Rational enhancement of the energy barrier of bis(tetrapyrrole) dysprosium SMMs via replacing atom of porphyrin core

With the coordination geometry of Dy^III being relatively fixed, oxygen and sulfur atoms were used to replace one porphyrin pyrrole nitrogen atom of sandwich complex [(Bu)₄N][Dy^III(Pc)(TBPP)] [Pc = dianion of phthalocyanine, TBPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[(4-tert-butyl)phenyl]porphyrin]. The energy barrier of the compounds was enhanced three times, with the order of Dy^III(Pc)(STBPP) > Dy^III(Pc)(OTBPP) > [(Bu)₄N][Dy^III(Pc)(TBPP)] [STBPP = monoanion of 5,10,15,20-(4-tert-butyl)phenyl-21-thiaporphyrin, OTBPP = monoanion of 5,10,15,20-(4-tert-butyl)phenyl-21-oxaporphyrin]. Theoretical calculations offer reasonable explanations of such a significant enhancement. The energy barrier of 194 K for Dy^III(Pc)(STBPP) represents the highest one among all the bis(tetrapyrrole) dysprosium SMMs, providing a strategy to rationally enhance the anisotropy and energy barrier via atom replacement.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in a 3D network of cobalt(II) citrate cubanes

The synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of a 3D network based on {Co?(cit)?}?? (H?cit = citric acid) cubane units linked by octahedral Co(II) centres is reported.     

A cell-penetrating protein designed for bimodal fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging

Multimodal imaging is a highly desirable biomedical application since it can provide complementary information from each imaging modality. We propose a protein engineering-based strategy for the construction of a bimodal probe for fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. A recombinant protein was generated by the fusion of a supercharged green fluorescence protein (GFP³⁶⁺) with a lanthanide-binding tag (dLBT) that can stably bind two Gd³⁺ ions. The GFP³⁶⁺–dLBT fusion protein showed strong fluorescence and exhibited efficient contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging. This protein probe improves the MR relaxation more efficiently than Gd-DTPA (gadopentetate dimeglumine). The superior cell-penetrating activity of GFP³⁶⁺ allows the efficient cellular uptake of this fusion protein and it can thus be used as a cellular imaging probe. Dual imaging was conducted in vitro and in mice. This result indicates that the fusion of different functional domains is a feasible approach for making multi-modal imaging agents.     

Reaction of a diaryldigermyne with ethylene

Reaction of the stable digermyne BbtGeGeBbt (Bbt = 2,6-[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₂-4-[C(SiMe₃)₃]-C₆H₂) with ethylene initially afforded the corresponding 1,2-digermacyclobutene. Depending on the reaction conditions applied, further reaction of this 1,2-digermacyclobutene with ethylene furnished two different reaction products: a 1,4-digermabicyclo[2.2.0]hexane or a bis(germiranyl)ethane. Combined experimental and theoretical results suggested that the 1,4-digermabicyclo[2.2.0]hexane and the bis(germiranyl)ethane are the thermodynamic and kinetic reaction products, respectively. A reaction mechanism in agreement with these results was proposed.     

Emptying and filling a tunnel bronze

The classical orthorhombic layered phase of V₂O₅ has long been regarded as the thermodynamic sink for binary vanadium oxides and has found great practical utility as a result of its open framework and easily accessible redox states. Herein, we exploit a cation-exchange mechanism to synthesize a new stable tunnel-structured polymorph of V₂O₅ (ζ-V₂O₅) and demonstrate the subsequent ability of this framework to accommodate Li and Mg ions. The facile extraction and insertion of cations and stabilization of the novel tunnel framework is facilitated by the nanometer-sized dimensions of the materials, which leads to accommodation of strain without amorphization. The topotactic approach demonstrated here indicates not just novel intercalation chemistry accessible at nanoscale dimensions but also suggests a facile synthetic route to ternary vanadium oxide bronzes (M_xV₂O₅) exhibiting intriguing physical properties that range from electronic phase transitions to charge ordering and superconductivity.