Slow Magnetization Relaxation in a 1-D Double-Chain Coordination Polymer Composed of {DyIII4} Repeating Units

The “unsuccessful” synthesis of the non-commercially available ‘Dy(O2CPh)3’ precursor from the stoichiometric reaction of Dy(NO3)3·5H2O with 3 equivalents of NaO2CPh in MeCN/H2O has led instead to the “successful” isolation and structural characterization of the 1-D coordination polymer [Dy4(O2CPh)12(H2O)8]n·2n(PhCO2H)·n(MeCN) (1·2n(PhCO2H)·n(MeCN)) in excellent yields (∼90%). The one-dimensional double-chain structure of 1 was resulted from the linkage of two parallel chains by syn,anti-1:η1:µ PhCO2 - groups. The lattice structure of 1 is further extended to a 2-D network through hydrogen bonding and Π-Π stacking interactions. The observation of out-of-phase (χ"M) ac susceptibility signals suggested that 1 might be a molecular nanomagnet, and this was confirmed by single-crystal magnetization vs. dc field sweeps that exhibited hysteresis, the diagnostic property of a magnet.