Slow Magnetic Relaxation in a Lanthanide-[1]Metallocenophane Complex

The first example of a lanthanide metallocenophane complex has been isolated as [Li(THF)(4)][DyFc(3)Li(2)(THF)(2)] (1). The molecular structure of complex 1 differs dramatically from those of main group and transition metal ferrocenophane complexes and features a distorted trigonal prismatic geometry around the Dy(III) ion and close intramolecular Dy center dot center dot center dot Fe distances. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits all characteristics of a soft single-molecule magnet.