Magneto-structural correlations of novel kagomé-type metal organic frameworks

Abstract

Here, we report the in situ formation of two novel metal organic frameworks based on copper and cobalt using tetrazole-5-carboxylate ethyl ester as the ligand synthesized by a hydrothermal route. Both MOFs show isostructural three-dimensional networks with kagomé tilling topology and show high chemical stability. Despite the iso-structural nature, both systems show distinct magnetic features. For the Cu-based kag-MOF system, the co-existence of energetically competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions resulted in the establishment of a long-range ferromagnetic order sustainable up to 52 K. On the contrary, dominant antiferromagnetic interactions identified in the Co-based MOF material were responsible for an antiferromagnetic order evolving below 7 K. Importantly, chemically different metallic ions gave rise to distinct magnetic ordering with different strength and temperature-sustainability. No dynamic magnetic phenomena were observed, implying that the concentration of the metal ions within the structure exceeded the percolation limit favoring the formation of the long-range magnetic order in the studied systems. Both designed kagomé-type MOFs were thus found to show a coexistence of high frustration and long range magnetic ordering with limited orbital quenching, resulting from the choice of the ligands and crystal arrangement. Thus, the results demonstrated the potentiality to effectively control and alter the magnetic features within the particular kagomé-type MOF lattice due to the chemical nature and structural incorporation of individual metal ions. The presented approach offers a promising strategy to further fine tune the physical characteristics of the MOF-based systems equipping them with more competitive potential and extending their application portfolio to other fields.