Intercalation of two-dimensional oxalate-bridged molecule-based magnets into layered double hydroxide hosts

Here we report the intercalation of a Mn-II-Cr-III oxalate-bridged extended network into the interlamellar space offered by a Zn-II-Al-III LDH host. This material exhibits ferrimagnetic ordering below 3 K from dominant antiferromagnetic interactions between metallic centres through the oxalate linker. Our result opens the door for the design of a completely new sort of hybrid magnetic multilayers from molecule-based magnets and layered inorganic flexible hosts, where the intrinsic properties of both sub-layers can be combined.