Chemical control of spin propagation between heterometallic rings

Thomas B. Faust, Valerio Bellini, Andrea Candini, Stefano Carretta, Giulia Lorusso, David R. Allan, Laura Carthy, David Collison, Rebecca J. Docherty, Jasbinder Kenyon, John MacHin, Eric J L McInnes, Christopher A. Muryn, Harriott Nowell, Robin G. Pritchard, Simon J. Teat, Grigore A. Timco, Floriana Tuna, George F S Whitehead, Wolfgang WernsdorferMarco Affronte, Richard E P Winpenny

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We present a synthetic, structural, theoretical, and spectroscopic study of a family of heterometallic ring dimers which have the formula [{Cr 7NiF3(Etglu)(O2CtBu)15} 2(NLN)], in which Etglu is the pentadeprotonated form of the sugar N-ethyl-D-glucamine, and NLN is an aromatic bridging diimine ligand. By varying NLN we are able to adjust the strength of the interaction between rings with the aim of understanding how to tune our system to achieve weak magnetic communication between the spins, a prerequisite for quantum entanglement. Micro-SQUID and EPR data reveal that the magnetic coupling between rings is partly related to the through-bond distance between the spin centers, but also depends on spin-polarization mechanisms and torsion angles between aromatic rings. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations allow us to make predictions of how such chemically variable parameters could be used to tune very precisely the interaction in such systems. For possible applications in quantum information processing and molecular spintronics, such precise control is essential. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)14020-14030
    Number of pages10
    JournalChemistry - A European Journal
    Volume17
    Issue number50
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 9 Dec 2011

    Keywords

    • chromium
    • EPR spectroscopy
    • heterometallic dimers
    • magnetic properties
    • metallacycles

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