Recent progress on cyano-bridged transition-metal-based single-molecule magnets and single-chain magnets

Novel functional molecular-based magnetic materials, especially some members of the Prussian blue family, have gained significant attention over the past few decades as they can be used beneficially in a variety of scientific fields. Herein, we survey the latest developments in cyano-bridged transition-metal-based single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and single-chain magnets (SCMs) research. The cyanide ligand, which has a strong affinity for transition metals, is a popular bridging ligand to construct a variety of molecular-magnetic materials, depending on the type of co-ligand. This review mainly focuses on research into structural topologies and the corresponding SMMs or SCMs. The first section provides a brief introduction into SMM and SCM behavior and important principles and strategies for constructing diverse magnetic materials. The remaining sections provide overviews of significant achievements reported in recent years. In the final section we conclude by presenting perspectives on cyanometallate-based SMMs and SCMs and by providing some new insight into this promising area.