Enhancing the blocking temperature in single-molecule magnets by incorporating 3d-5d exchange interactions

We report the first single-molecule magnet (SMM) to incorporate the [Os(CN)(6)](3-) moiety. The compound (1) has a trimeric, cyanide-bridged Mn(III)-Os(III)-Mn(III) skeleton in which Mn(III) designates a [Mn(5-Brsalen)(MeOH)](+) unit (5-Brsalen=N,N'-ethylenebis(5-bromosalicylideneiminato)). X-ray crystallographic experiments reveal that 1 is isostructural with the Mn(III)-Fe(III)-Mn(III) analogue (2). Both compounds exhibit a frequency-dependent out-of-phase χ''(T) alternating current (ac) susceptibility signal that is suggestive of SMM behaviour. From the Arrhenius expression, the effective barrier for 1 is found to be Δ(eff)/k(B)=19 K (τ(0)=5.0×10(-7) s; k(B)=Boltzmann constant), whereas only the onset (1.5 kHz, 1.8 K) of χ''(T) is observed for 2, thus indicating a higher blocking temperature for 1. The strong spin-orbit coupling present in Os(III) isolates the E'(1g(1/2))(O(h)*) Kramers doublet that exhibits orbital contributions to the single-ion anisotropy. Magnetic susceptibility and inelastic neutron-scattering measurements reveal that substitution of [Fe(CN)(6)](3-) by the [Os(CN)(6)](3-) anion results in larger ferromagnetic, anisotropic exchange interactions going from quasi-Ising exchange interactions in 2 to pure Ising exchange for 1 with J(parallel)(MnOs)=-30.6 cm(-1). The combination of diffuse magnetic orbitals and the Ising-type exchange interaction effectively contributes to a higher blocking temperature. This result is in accordance with theoretical predictions and paves the way for the design of a new generation of SMMs with enhanced SMM properties.