Enlarging the ring by incorporating a phosphonate coligand: from the cyclic hexanuclear to octanuclear dysprosium clusters

Abstract

Solvothermal reaction of a double pyrazinyl hydrazone ligand EDDC²⁻ with Dy(OAc)₃ results in a cyclic hexanuclear cluster [Dy₆(EDDC)₂(OAc)₁₄(H₂O)₂]·MeOH·2H₂O (1). The addition of 1-naphthylphosphonate to the reaction mixture expands the ring size with the formation of a cyclic octanuclear cluster [Dy₈(EDDC)₄(O₃PC₁₀H₇)₄(OAc)₈(H₂O)₄]·12H₂O (2). The latter shows slow magnetization relaxation below 12 K, characteristic of single molecule magnet behavior.