An investigation into lanthanide-lanthanide magnetic interactions in a series of [Ln2(mdeaH2)2(piv)6] dimers

A series of six isostructural lanthanide dimers of general formula [Ln2(mdeaH2)2(piv)6], where mdeaH2 is N-methyldiethanolamine, piv is pivalate, and Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd, has been synthesized. X-ray crystallographic studies indicate that the lanthanides are connected by syn,syn-carboxylate bridges. Magnetic studies carried out on these compounds show that this type of bridge mediates vanishingly small magnetic interactions.