Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Single-Molecule Magnetic Properties of a Salen-type Zn-Dy-Zn Complex

A Salen-type [Salen = N,N'-ethylene bis(salicylideneimine)] mononuclear lanthanide(III)-based Zn-Dy-Zn complex [Dy(ZnL)(2)(CH3COO)Cl-2]center dot CH2Cl2 (1) was prepared [H2L = N,N'-bis(3-ethoxysalicylidene)phenylene-1,2-diamine]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Dy-III was sandwiched between the two ZnL moieties, which was coordinated by three outer OO2 atoms and four inner N2O2 atoms from two Salen-type ligand, respectively, and an oxygen atom of acetic acid molecule completed the eight-coordinate arrangement. The continuous-shape-measures (CShMs) analysis to the Dy-III coordination polyhedron revealed that the coordination environment lies among the ideal spherical triangular dodecahedron (D-2d) and square antiprism (D-4d), respectively, but with relative large deviation parameters. The alternative current (ac) susceptibility measurements shown that it behaved as a field-induced single-molecule magnet with relaxation energy barrier U-eff = 19 K and tau(0) = 1.5 x 10(-5) s.