A DyIII Complex of a Pentadentate Schiff Base with Field-Induced Single-Ion Magnet Behaviour

The influence of the solvent in the reaction of dysprosium(III) chloride hydrate with the N3O2 ligand H2L (2,6-bis(2-hydroxyphenyliminomethyl)pyridine) was studied To this end, the new mononuclear chloride complex [Dy(L)Cl(H2O)(2)] (1) was isolated in absolute ethanol as solvent, without any evidence of the hydrolysis of the ligand. This clearly contrasts with previous results, where a similar reaction in methanol proceeds with the partial hydrolysis of the Schiff base, and the formation of a new hemiacetal donor to yield [Dy(HL')(2))][Dy(L)(Cl-2)] (H2L' = (6-(2-hydroxyphenyliminomethyl)-2-methoxyhydroxymethyl)pyridine). The single crystal X-ray structure of the chloride complex 1 shows that the Dy-III ion is octacoordinated in a highly distorted N3O4Cl environment between triangular dodecahedral and biaugmented trigonal prisms. The full magnetic characterisation of 1 shows that it presents field-induced single ion magnet behaviour, with a thermal energy barrier U-eff of 113.5 K, which is the highest among dysprosium complexes derived from H2L.

Automated summary

The influence of the solvent on the reaction between dysprosium(III) chloride hydrate and the N3O2 ligand H2L was investigated. A new mononuclear chloride complex [Dy(L)Cl(H2O)(2)] was isolated in ethanol, indicating no hydrolysis of the ligand. In contrast, a similar reaction in methanol resulted in partial hydrolysis of the Schiff base and the formation of a new hemiacetal donor. The magnetic characterization of the chloride complex showed field-induced single ion magnet behavior with a thermal energy barrier of 113.5 K, the highest reported for dysprosium complexes derived from H2L.