Bis-Cyclooctatetraenyl Thulium(II): Highly Reducing Lanthanide Sandwich Single-Molecule Magnets

Divalent lanthanide organometallics are well-known highly reducing compounds usually used for single electron transfer reactivity and small molecule activation. Thus, their very reactive nature prevented for many years the study of their physical properties, such as magnetic studies on a reliable basis. Herein, the access to rare organometallic sandwich compounds of Tm-II with the cyclooctatetraenyl (Cot) ligand impacts on the use of divalent organolanthanide compounds as an additional strategy for the design of performing Single Molecule Magnets (SMM). The first divalent thulium sandwich complex with f(13) configuration behaving as a single-molecule magnet in absence of DC field is highlighted.

Automated summary

Divalent lanthanide organometallics are highly reducing compounds known for single electron transfer reactivity and small molecule activation. This study presents a rare organometallic sandwich compound of divalent thulium with the cyclooctatetraenyl ligand, introducing it as an additional strategy for designing high-performing Single Molecule Magnets. The first divalent thulium sandwich complex with f(13) configuration behaves as a single-molecule magnet even in the absence of a DC field.