Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates
Published on: February 15, 2016
Tetradecanuclear {Ni9Ln5} Clusters Featuring Encapsulated {Ln5} Trigonal Bipyramids: Modular 3d-4f Architectures With
Thomais G Tziotzi1, Evangelia G Asmargiannaki1, Ben Thamm1
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Crete, Herakleion, Greece.
Abstract:
The solvothermal reaction between Ni(HCOO)2 .2H2O, 2-aminoisobutyric acid (aibH), Ln(OAc)3·4H2O (Ln = Gd, Y, Dy) and NEt3 in MeOH/MeCN affords the tetradecanuclear [Ni9Ln5(OH)9(aib)12(OAc)x(ΗCOO)y].12MeCN complexes (Ln = Gd, x = 6, y = 6, 1.12MeCN; Ln = Y, x = 6, y = 6, 2.12MeCN; Ln = Dy, x = 3, y = 9, 3.12MeCN) in good yields. All three clusters are isostructural, featuring a trigonal bipyramidal {Ln5} core encapsulated within a triply edge-capped {[NiII 3]NiII 6} trigonal prism. Magnetic measurements reveal dominant ferromagnetic intermolecular interactions in the Gd and Dy analogues, whereas the Y derivative exhibits weak antiferromagnetic behavior. Magnetothermal and heat-capacity measurements for 1.12MeCN indicate a significant magnetocaloric effect, reaching -∆Sm = 28.1 J kg-1 K-1 for full demagnetization from B = 7 T at T = 3.9 K, while sustaining large -∆Sm(T,∆B) and ∆Tad(T,∆B) responses across an unusually broad temperature range.
Related Concept Videos
Valence Bond Theory
Coordination Number and Geometry
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...

