Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of heterometallic {Zn2Ln2} (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho) compounds with parallelogram-like cores

•Three heterometallic parallelogram-like {Zn2Ln2} compounds have been synthesized.•Their crystal structures and magnetic properties are studied.•Dy compound exhibits the properties of single molecule magnet.

This work presents the synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of three tetranuclear heterometallic compounds with the chemical formula [Zn2Ln2(L)4Cl2]·xCH3CN·yCH3OH where Ln = Tb (1), Dy (2), and Ho (3) and the H2L ligand was 1,2-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazine. Single-crystal X-ray analyses revealed that compounds 1–3 had similar coordination environments and structures. Direct current susceptibility measurements revealed that the χmT product decreased with decreasing temperature due most likely to either the thermal depopulation of the Stark sublevels of the TbIII, DyIII, and HoIII ions or antiferromagnetic coupling within the [Zn2Ln2] cores. Furthermore, compound 2 displayed a slow field-induced relaxation of magnetization. An energy barrier of ΔE/kB = 23.74 K and a pre-exponential factor of τ0 = 4.33 × 10−6 s were obtained by fitting the dynamic magnetic data to an Arrhenius rate law.

Graphical abstractUsing the 1,2-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazine ligand, lanthanide nitrate and zinc chloride, we obtained and characterized three heterometallic {Zn2Ln2} compounds. Their crystal structures and magnetic properties were studied.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide