Single-Molecule Magnet and Magnetothermal Properties of Two-Dimensional Polymers Containing Heterometallic [Cu5Ln2] (Ln = GdIII and DyIII) Motifs

The reaction of a compartmental ligand N,N-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diamino-2-propanol (LH3) with Cu-II and Ln(III) salts under solvothermal conditions afforded two-dimensional coordination polymers, [{Cu5Gd2(L)(2)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(NO3)(4)-(mu-OH2)(2)}(NO3)(2)](infinity) (1) and [{Cu5Dy2(L)(2)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(NO3)(4)(MeOH)(2)}-(NO3)(2)](infinity) (2). A detailed study of the magnetic properties of the two coordination polymers reveals that the [Cu5Dy2] analogue shows single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior with an energy barrier of about 12 K with tau(0) = 10(-6) s under zero-dc field, while the [Cu5Gd2] analogue shows magnetocaloric effect with a -Delta S-m value of 17.55 J kg(-1) K-1 at T = 2 K (Delta B = 5 T). Interestingly, the magnetic and SMM properties of the previously reported molecular and one-dimensional analogues containing the [Cu(5)Ln(2)] motif are preserved even in the two-dimensional coordination networks.