New strategy to construct single-ion magnets: a unique Dy@Zn6 cluster exhibiting slow magnetic relaxation

Two unique heptanuclear clusters Ln@Zn-6 (Ln = Dy (1), Er (2)) were structurally and magnetically characterized. Each Dy3+/Er3+ is located in a nona-coordinate D-3h coordination environment, and is encapsulated in a diamagnetic Zn-6 cage. Compound 1 exhibits single-ion magnetic behavior, and is the first example of a single-ion magnet (SIM) constructed through embedding one magnetic anisotropic metal ion into a diamagnetic cage.