Two dodecanuclear heterometallic [Zn6Ln6] clusters constructed by a multidentate salicylamide salen-like ligand: synthesis, structure, luminescence and magnetic properties

Abstract

The employment of a multidentate salicylamide salen-like ligand, 2-hydroxy-N-(2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)ethyl)benzamide (H₃L), in aid of NO₃⁻ anions under weak basic conditions in Zn^II–Ln^III chemistry (Ln = Eu, 1 and Dy, 2) led to the isolation of two novel butterfly heterometallic dodecanuclear clusters with six Ln^III ions occupying the body position and six Zn^II ions the outer wing-tip sites. All of them are fully characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, TG analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) techniques. Luminescence studies indicate that 1 exhibits dual emission, while 2 exhibits a bright blue emission under visible light excitation. Furthermore, magnetic susceptibility studies carried out for 2 indicate that the magnetic exchange between Dy^III ions revealed ferromagnetic interactions with interesting slow relaxation of magnetization of the SMM behavior.