Neutral dicyanidoferrate(ii) metalloligands for the rational design of dysprosium(iii) single-molecule magnets

Abstract

Diamagnetic cis-dicyanidoferrate(II) complexes bearing blocking aromatic diimines, cis-[Fe^II(CN)₂(L_NN)₂]⁰ (L_NN = 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10′-phenanthroline) serve as metalloligands to Dy^III centres leading to a rigid cyanido-bridged chain of vertex-sharing {Dy^III₂Fe^II₂} squares which constrains the equatorial plane of embedded 4f metal ions. This results in a novel convenient route to rationally designed single-molecule magnets as the magnetic anisotropy of Dy^III centres can be efficiently generated by inserting aromatic N-oxide ligands on labile axial positions.