UC San Diego

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) offer a molecular approach to nanoscale magnetic materials. These molecules, below their blocking temperature, function as single-domain magnetic particles and exhibit the classical macroscale property of a magnet-magnetization hysteresis. In addition, SMMs straddle the classical/quantum interface in also displaying quantum tunnelling of magnetization (QTM) and quantum phase interference. Potential applications of SMMs include high-density information storage and qubits for quantum computing. There are numerous synthetic and technical challenges to this end, the most significant of which involves maximization of the barrier to magnetization reversal (Ueff) and understanding the factors that control QTM. To meet these goals, closely- related families of Mn'III-based complexes have been synthesized, in which the ground state spin values, uniaxial anisotropies, and magnetization reversal barriers were varied as a result of systematic changes in the coordinating ligands and co-crystallizing cations. Detailed single-crystal magnetization hysteresis and high- frequency EPR studies on these complexes provide unprecendented insight towards the mechanism and selection rules for QTM in these complexes, as applicable to all SMMs. SMMs have also been widely touted as a 'bottom-up' approach to the construction of molecular magnetic materials, though very few examples adequately demonstrate this concept. Families of higher-nuclearity Mn₃III-based complexes have thus been synthesized, for which dimeric structures, infinite 1-D chains, 2-D grids, and porous 3-D frameworks have been achieved. Through systematic synthetic variations, these complexes exhibit magnetic properties that span the range from isolated SMMs, to weakly coupled SMMs, to correlated single-chain magnets (SCMs). The porous 3-D structures also possesses unique multi-functional properties such as the observation of slow magnetization relaxation and the selective adsorption of gases such as CO₂ and H₂