Magnetic Relaxation and Luminescence Properties of Chloranilate-Bridged 3d–4f Tetranuclear Clusters

By using chloranilate anions to react with 3d complexes ([M(L)(H2O)2], H2L = 1,3-propanediylbis(2-iminomethylene-6-methoxy-phenol)) and 4f ions, a series of phenoxo- and chloranilate-bridged zigzag M2Ln2 clusters (M = Ni, Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Eu for 1–5, respectively; M = Zn, Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Eu for 6–10, respectively) have been obtained and structurally characterized. They are rare chloranilate-bridged 3d–4f heterometallic complexes. All of the Tb and Eu derivatives exhibit characteristic emission peaks of the corresponding LnIII ion. Magnetic studies reveal that two Dy derivatives display field-induced single-molecule magnet properties with energy barriers of 7.44 K for 3 and 50.64 K for 8.