Air-Stable Chiral Single-Molecule Magnets with Record Anisotropy Barrier Exceeding 1800 K

Design and synthesis of air-stable and easily tailored high-performance single-molecule magnets (SMMs) are of great significance toward the implementation of SMMs in molecular-based magneto-electronic devices. Here, by introducing electron-withdrawing fluorinated substituents on equatorial ligand, two chiral Dy(III) macrocyclic complexes, RRRR-Dy-D6hF12 (1) and SSSS-Dy-D6hF12 (2), with a record anisotropy barrier exceeding 1800 K and the longest relaxation time approaching 2500 s at 2.0 K for all known air-stable SMMs, were obtained. The nearly perfect axiality of the ground Kramers doublet (KD) enables the open hysteresis loops up to 20 K in the magnetically diluted sample. It is notable that they are structurally rigid with high thermal stability and the apical ligand can be tailored to carry proper surface-binding groups. This finding not only improves the magnetic properties for air-stable SMMs but also provides a new avenue for deposition of SMMs on surfaces.

Automated summary

By introducing fluorinated substituents on the ligands, two chiral Dy(III) macrocyclic complexes with high anisotropy barrier and relaxation time were obtained, providing a new avenue for improving air-stable SMMs and depositing SMMs on surfaces.