Two dodecanuclear heterometallic [Zn6Ln6] clusters constructed by a multidentate salicylamide salen-like ligand: synthesis, structure, luminescence and magnetic properties.

The employment of a multidentate salicylamide salen-like ligand, 2-hydroxy-N-(2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)ethyl)benzamide (H3L), in aid of NO3(-) anions under weak basic conditions in Zn(II)-Ln(III) chemistry (Ln = Eu, and Dy, ) led to the isolation of two novel butterfly heterometallic dodecanuclear clusters with six Ln(III) ions occupying the body position and six Zn(II) ions the outer wing-tip sites. All of them are fully characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, TG analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) techniques. Luminescence studies indicate that exhibits dual emission, while exhibits a bright blue emission under visible light excitation. Furthermore, magnetic susceptibility studies carried out for indicate that the magnetic exchange between Dy(III) ions revealed ferromagnetic interactions with interesting slow relaxation of magnetization of the SMM behavior.