Switchable slow relaxation of magnetization in photochromic dysprosium(iii) complexes manipulated by a dithienylethene ligand

Abstract

The photochromic and magnetic properties of two dithienylethene (DTE)-based complexes, [Dy(NO₃)₃(Lo)₂(MeOH)] (1-o) and [Dy(NO₃)₃(Lo)₃] (2-o) (Lo = 4,5-bis(2,5-dimethylthiophen-3-yl)-1,3-dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-one), were experimentally studied in detail with the help of theoretical calculations. Both complexes exhibit an instantaneous and strong reversible photochromic response to UV/Vis irradiation, as evidenced from spectroscopic tests, and complex 1-o behaves as a typical field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM). By controlling the reaction ratio of Lo and Dy(NO)₃, Lo replacing a coordinated methanol molecule in 1-o results in the production of complex 2-o, whose single-molecule behavior is off. Upon irradiation with 254 nm light, the SMM properties of 1-o deteriorate with the energy barrier decreasing from 68.1 to 44.3 K while the magnetic dynamics of complex 2-o shows no response to irradiation. Ab initio calculations reveal that the quantum tunnelling of magnetization between the ground Kramers doublets in 2-o is quite strong, leading to the disappearance of SMM behavior. For complex 1-o, the strong magnetic anisotropy and moderate quantum tunnelling of magnetization relative to 2-o give rise to an appropriate energy barrier for SMM. On the other hand, the decrease in energy barriers for 1-o after irradiation results from the weakening of magnetic anisotropy, which is caused by the stronger charge delocalization of the coordinated carbonyl oxygen atom of the ring-closed DTE ligand. By regulating the reactant ratio, two photochromic DTE-based Dy(III) complexes are obtained and the SMM properties of complex 1-o can be tuned by the light-induced isomerization of the dithienylethene ligand.