Dinuclear Rare-Earth β‑Diketiminates with Bridging 3,5-Ditert-butyl-catecholates: Synthesis, Structure, and Single-Molecule Magnet Properties

The dinuclear β-diketiminato complex [L1ClDy­(μ-Cl)3DyL1(THF)] (1) (L1 = {2,6-iPr2C6H3–NC­(Me)­CHC­(Me)­N-2,6-iPr2C6H3}−) was obtained by reaction of DyCl3 with KL1 in a molar ratio of 1:1 and used for the preparation of the mixed-ligand complex [L1Dy­(μ-3,5-Cat)]2 (2) by salt metathesis reaction with 3,5-CatK2 (3,5-Cat −3,5-di-tert-butyl-catecholate). Reactions of 3,5-CatNa2 with [L2LnCl2(THF)2] (Ln3+ = Dy, Y) ligated with the less bulky ligand L2 = {2,4,6-Me3C6H2–NC­(Me)­CHC­(Me)­N-2,4,6-Me3C6H2}− afforded the mixed-ligand THF-containing complexes [L2Ln­(μ-3,5-Cat)­(THF)]2 (Ln3+ = Dy (3a), Y (3b)). All new complexes were fully characterized, and the solid-state structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Magnetic measurements revealed single-molecule magnet behavior for the dysprosium complexes. Sub-Kelvin μSQUID studies confirm the SMM character of the systems, while CASSCF calculation along with simulation of the experimental data yields an antiferromagnetic interaction operating between the Dy3+ ions.