A family of acetato-diphenoxo triply bridged dimetallic Zn(II)Ln(III) complexes: SMM behavior and luminescent properties.

Eleven dimetallic Zn(II)-Ln(III) complexes of the general formula [Zn(µ-L)(µ-OAc)Ln(NO3)2]·CH3CN (Ln(III) = Pr (1), Nd (2), Sm (3), Eu (4), Gd (5), Tb (6), Dy (7), Ho (8), Er (9), Tm (10), Yb (11)) have been prepared in a one-pot reaction from the compartmental ligand N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-3-formyl-5-bromo-benzyl)ethylenediamine (H2L). In all these complexes, the Zn(II) ions occupy the internal N2O2 site whereas the Ln(III) ions show preference for the O4 external site. Both metallic ions are bridged by an acetate bridge, giving rise to triple mixed diphenoxido/acetate bridged Zn(II)Ln(III) compounds. The Nd, Dy, Er and Yb complexes exhibit field induced single-ion magnet (SIM) behaviour, with Ueff values ranging from 14.12 to 41.55 K. The Er complex shows two relaxation processes, but only the second relaxation process with an energy barrier of 21.0 K has been characterized. The chromophoric L(2-) ligand is able to act as an "antenna" group, sensitizing the near-infrared (NIR) Nd(III) and Yb(III)-based luminescence in complexes 2 and 11 and therefore, both compounds can be considered as magneto-luminescent materials. In addition, the Sm(III), Eu(III) and Tb(III) derivatives exhibit characteristic emissions in the visible region.