Photo-control of the magnetic properties of Dy(III) and Ho(III) homometal coordination polymers bridged by a diarylethene ligand

Two-dimensional Dy(III) and Ho(III) homometal coordination polymers containing the photochromic ligand 1,2-bis(5-carboxyl-2-methyl-3-thienyl) perfluorocyclopentene (DTE) with the general formula [Ln(2)(DTE)(3)(bipyridine)(2)(H2O)(2)](n) (Ln = Dy and Ho) were obtained, and the magnetic properties of their open (Dy-o and Ho-o) and closed forms (Dy-c and Ho-c) were investigated. The Dy complexes exhibited slow magnetic relaxation without an external dc field. The magnetic properties of the Dy complexes were irreversibly affected by the conformation of the ligand.