Perspectives on Neutron Scattering in Lanthanide-Based Single-Molecule Magnets and a Case Study of the Tb-2(mu-N-2) System

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) based on lanthanide ions display the largest known blocking temperatures and are the best candidates for molecular magnetic devices. Understanding their physical properties is a paramount task for the further development of the field. In particular, for the poly-nuclear variety of lanthanide SMMs, a proper understanding of the magnetic exchange interaction is crucial. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the neutron scattering technique in the study of these materials and particularly for the determination of exchange. We illustrate these points by presenting the results of a comprehensive inelastic neutron scattering study aimed at a radical-bridged diterbium(III) cluster, Tb-2(mu-N-2(3)), which exhibits the largest blocking temperature for a poly-nuclear SMM. Results on the YIII analogue Y-2(mu-N-2(3-)) and the parent compound Tb-2(mu-N-2(2-)) (showing no SMM features) are also reported. The results on the parent compound include the first direct determination of the lanthanide-lanthanide exchange interaction in a molecular cluster based on inelastic neutron scattering. In the SMM compound, the resulting physical picture remains incomplete due to the difficulties inherent to the problem.