Bis-Alkoxide Dysprosium(III) Crown Ether Complexes Exhibit Tunable Air Stability and Record Energy Barrier.

High-performance and air-stable single-molecule magnets (SMMs) can offer great convenience for the fabrication of information storage devices. However, the controversial requisition of high stability and magnetic axiality is hard to balance for lanthanide-based SMMs. Here, a family of dysprosium(III) crown ether complexes possessing hexagonal-bipyramidal (pseudo-D6h symmetry) local coordination geometry with tunable air stability and effective energy barrier for magnetization reversal (Ueff) are shown. The three complexes share the common formula of [Dy(18-C-6)L2][I3] (18-C-6 = 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane; L = I, 1; L = OtBu 2 and L = 1-AdO 3). 1 is highly unstable in the air. 2 can survive in the air for a few minutes, while 3 remains unchanged in the air for more than 1 week. This is roughly in accordance with the percentage of buried volumes of the axial ligands. More strikingly, 2 and 3 show progressive enhancement of Ueff and 3 exhibits a record high Ueff of 2427(19) K, which significantly contributes to the 100 s blocking temperature up to 11 K for Yttrium-diluted sample, setting a new benchmark for solid-state air-stable SMMs.

Fine Tuning Ag(I)-Sb(III) Hybrid Iodides for Light Detection.

Lead-free hybrid double perovskite iodides (HDPIs) have piqued increasing research interest due to their environmental friendliness and high stability. However, such antimony-based HDPIs with strong photocurrent response are currently very limited. Here, we successfully design and construct five Ag(I)-Sb(III)-based HDPIs using two types of cyclic aliphatic amines as A-site templates. Interestingly, these Ag(I)-Sb(III) HDPIs exhibit relatively narrow band gaps, preferred orientation, and high stability after being processed into thin films on the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. Notably, under illuminations of a xenon lamp, all HDPIs exhibit considerable photocurrent responses, reaching a maximum difference of 17 µA·cm-2 for ASI 1, which is the highest among lead-free halogen-based organic-inorganic hybrid compounds to date. Combining the considerable photocurrents and the high stability, the optoelectronic applications of two-dimensional Ag(I)-Sb(III) HDPIs can be expected.

Thermally Stable Terbium(II) and Dysprosium(II) Bis-amidinate Complexes.

The thermostable four-coordinate divalent lanthanide (Ln) bis-amidinate complexes [Ln(Piso)2] (Ln = Tb, Dy; Piso = {(NDipp)2CtBu}, Dipp = C6H3iPr2-2,6) were prepared by the reduction of parent five-coordinate Ln(III) precursors [Ln(Piso)2I] (Ln = Tb, Dy) with KC8; halide abstraction of [Ln(Piso)2I] with [H(SiEt3)2][B(C6F5)] gave the respective Ln(III) complexes [Ln(Piso)2][B(C6F5)]. All complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ICP-MS, elemental analysis, SQUID magnetometry, UV-vis-NIR, ATR-IR, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy and ab initio CASSCF-SO calculations. These data consistently show that [Ln(Piso)2] formally exhibit Ln(II) centers with 4fn5dz21 (Ln = Tb, n = 8; Dy, n = 9) valence electron configurations. We show that simple assignments of the f-d coupling to either L-S or J-s schemes are an oversimplification, especially in the presence of significant crystal field splitting. The coordination geometry of [Ln(Piso)2] is intermediate between square planar and tetrahedral. Projecting from the quaternary carbon atoms of the CN2 ligand backbones shows near-linear C···Ln···C arrangements. This results in strong axial ligand fields to give effective energy barriers to magnetic reversal of 1920(91) K for the Tb(II) analogue and 1964(48) K for Dy(II), the highest values observed for mononuclear Ln(II) single-molecule magnets, eclipsing 1738 K for [Tb(C5iPr5)2]. We tentatively attribute the fast zero-field magnetic relaxation for these complexes at low temperatures to transverse fields, resulting in considerable mixing of mJ states.

A DFT-Based Mechanism Analysis of the Cyclodextrin Inclusion on the Radical Scavenging Activity of Apigenin.

Natural flavonoids are renowned for their exceptional antioxidant properties, but their limited water solubility hampers their bioavailability. One approach to enhancing their water solubility and antioxidant activity involves the use of cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion. This study investigated the impact of CD inclusion on the three primary radical scavenging mechanisms associated with flavonoid antioxidant activity, utilizing apigenin as a representative flavonoid and employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Initially, the optimized geometries of CD-apigenin inclusion complexes were analyzed, revealing the formation of hydrogen bonds between CD and apigenin. In less polar environments, the inclusion complex strengthened the bond dissociation enthalpies of hydroxyl groups, thereby reducing antioxidant activity. Conversely, in polar environments, the inclusion complex had the opposite effect by lowering proton affinity. These findings align with experimental results demonstrating that CD inclusion complexation enhances flavonoid antioxidant activity in aqueous ethanol solutions.

Novel pH-responsive indicator films based on bromothymol blue-anchored chitin for shrimp freshness monitoring.

The cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) based pH-sensitive indicator films were developed by mixing guar gum (GG) with bromothymol blue-anchored chitin (BTB-Chitin) as an indicator to monitor shrimp freshness. The BTB-Chitin was prepared by grafting hydroxypropyltriethylamine groups (HPTA) to chitin first, then anchoring bromothymol blue (BTB) to prepare intelligent pH response BTB-Chitin. The 0.08 BTB-Chitin films had a good tensile strength of 11.76 MPa and the water contact angle values were 125°, which displayed obvious color response to pH buffers and acid base volatile gas. Besides, the homogeneous and flexible composite films showed good color stability and reversibility. The released amount of BTB was very low from the BTB-Chitin films in heptane and corn oil. The composite films had been degraded completely in 15 days in soil. The pH and volatile base nitrogen were measured to determine the degree decay of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), and the prepared pH-sensitive films changed from yellow (fresh) to cyan (spoiled) with the freshness of shrimp decreased, indicating the BTB-Chitin films could detect the shrimp freshness in real-time and high visibility.

The structural and hydrogen bonding properties of ionic liquid-co-solvent binary mixtures: the distinct behaviors of two anions.

In practical applications, ionic liquids are often mixed with co-solvents. Understanding their structures and the interactions between them is a prerequisite for expanding their range of applications. In this work, spectroscopic and theoretical methods were employed to explore the structure and hydrogen bonding behaviors of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIMTFSI)/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate (EMIMSCN) and co-solvents. It can be concluded that the hydrogen bonds associated with C2-H and C4,5-H are enhanced with the addition of co-solvents in the EMIMTFSI-DMSO system, while those associated with C4,5-H are weakened in the EMIMSCN-DMSO system. Infrared and excess spectra in the v(imidazolium C-H) range of EMIMSCN-CD3CN/CD3COCD3 systems further indicate that the abnormal change of hydrogen bonds associated with C4,5-H can be attributed to [SCN]-. These differences can be explained by the change of the primary interaction site. For EMIMTFSI, the primary interaction site in ion pairs and ion clusters is always C2-H, while for EMIMSCN, the primary interaction site in ion pairs is C2-H, and in ion clusters, it becomes C4,5-H. In the EMIMTFSI-DMSO system, the co-solvent primarily interacts with C4,5-H, while in the EMIMSCN-DMSO/CH3CN/CH3COCH3 systems, it primarily interacts with C2-H. In addition, several complexes are identified through excess infrared spectra and DFT calculations.

A FTIR and DFT Combination Study to Reveal the Mechanism of Eliminating the Azeotropy in Ethyl Propionate-n-Propanol System with Ionic Liquid Entrainer.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have presented excellent behaviors in the separation of azeotropes in extractive distillation. However, the intrinsic molecular nature of ILs in the separation of azeotropic systems is not clear. In this paper, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and theoretical calculations were applied to screen the microstructures of ethyl propionate-n-propanol-1-ethyl-3-methylimidzolium acetate ([EMIM][OAC]) systems before and after azeotropy breaking. A detailed vibrational analysis was carried out on the v(C=O) region of ethyl propionate and v(O-D) region of n-propanol-d1. Different species, including multiple sizes of propanol and ethyl propionate self-aggregators, ethyl propionate-n-propanol interaction complexes, and different IL-n-propanol interaction complexes, were identified using excess spectroscopy and confirmed with theoretical calculations. Their changes in relative amounts were also observed. The hydrogen bond between n-propanol and ethyl propionate/[EMIM][OAC] was detected, and the interaction properties were also revealed. Overall, the intrinsic molecular nature of the azeotropy breaking was clear. First, the interactions between [EMIM][OAC] and n-propanol were stronger than those between [EMIM][OAC] and ethyl propionate, which influenced the relative volatilities of the two components in the system. Second, the interactions between n-propanol and [EMIM][OAC] were stronger than those between n-propanol and ethyl propionate. Hence, adding [EMIM][OAC] could break apart the ethyl propionate-n-propanol complex (causing the azeotropy in the studied system). When x([EMIM][OAC]) was lower than 0.04, the azeotropy still existed mainly because the low IL could not destroy the whole ethyl propionate-n-propanol interaction complex. At x(IL) > 0.04, the whole ethyl propionate-n-propanol complex was destroyed, and the azeotropy disappeared.

A Dynamic Triradical: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Spin Frustration.

Polyradicals, i.e., multispin organic molecules, are playing important roles in radical-based material applications for their spin-spin interaction. A dynamic covalently bonded multispin molecule may endow materials with added function such as memory and switching. However, such a species has yet to be reported. We here report the synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure of a dynamic triradical species. It is generated by the self-assembly of two molecules through a Lewis acid coupled electron transfer. The crystalline species is spin-frustrated without Jahn-Teller distortion at low temperature, while it dissociates back to diamagnetic starting material in solution at high temperature. The reversible process is tracked by variable-temperature NMR, EPR, and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Isolation, property study, and dynamic bonding investigation on such a species lay the foundation for the design of functional polyradicals with potential application as memory or switching devices.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra of Pentagonal Bipyramidal Gadolinium Complexes.

Gadolinium is a special case in spectroscopy because of the near isotropic nature of the 4f7 configuration of the +3 oxidation state. Gd3+ complexes have been studied in several symmetries to understand the underlying mechanisms of the ground state splitting. The abundance of information in Gd3+ spectra can be used as a probe for properties of the other rare earth ions in the same complexes. In this work, the zero-field splitting (ZFS) of a series of Gd3+ pentagonal bipyramidal complexes of the form [GdX1X2(Leq)5]n+ [n = 1, X = axial ligands: Cl-, -OtBu, -OArF5 or n = 3, X = tBuPO(NHiPr)2, Leq = equatorial ligand: Py, THF or H2O] with near fivefold symmetry axes along X1-Gd-X2 was investigated. The ZFS parameters were determined by fitting of room-temperature continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra (at X-, K-, and Q-band) to a spin Hamiltonian incorporating extended Stevens operators compatible with C5 symmetry. Examination of the acquired parameters led to the conclusion that the ZFS is dominated by the B20 term and that the magnitude of B20 is almost entirely dependent on, and inversely proportional to, the donor strength of the axial ligands. Surveying the continuous shape measure and the X1-Gd-X2 angle of the complexes showed that there is some correlation between the proximity of each complex to D5h symmetry and the magnitude of the B65 parameter, but that the deformation of the X1-Gd-X2 angle is more significant than other distortions. Finally, the magnitude of B20 was found to be inversely proportional to the thermal barrier for the reversal of the magnetic moment (Ueff) of the corresponding isostructural Dy3+ complexes.

Synergy of Magnetic Anisotropy and Ferromagnetic Interaction Triggering a Dimeric Cr(II) Zero-Field Single-Molecule Magnet.

A novel CrII-dimeric complex, [CrIIN(SiiPr3)2(µ-Cl)(THF)]2 (1), has been successfully constructed using a bulky silyl-amide ligand. Single-crystal structure analysis reveals that complex 1 exhibits a binuclear motif, with a Cr2Cl2 rhombus core, where two equivalent tetra-coordinate CrII centers in the centrosymmetric unit display quasi-square planar geometry. The crystal structure has been well simulated and explored by density functional theory calculations. The axial zero-field splitting parameter (D < 0) with a small rhombic (E) value is unambiguously determined by systematic investigations of magnetic measurements, high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations. Remarkably, ac magnetic susceptibility data unveil that 1 features slow dynamic magnetic relaxation typical of single-molecule magnet behavior with Ueff = 22 K in the absence of a dc field. This increases up to 35 K under a corresponding static field. Moreover, magnetic studies and theoretical calculations point out that a non-negligible ferromagnetic coupling (FMC) exists in the dimeric Cr-Cr units of 1. The coexistence of magnetic anisotropy and FMC contributes to the first case of CrII-based single-molecule magnets (SMMs) under zero dc field.

Determinative Effect of Axial Linearity on Single-Molecule Magnet Performance in Dinuclear Dysprosium Complexes.

Two dichloride-bridged dinuclear dysprosium(III) complexes based on salen ligands, namely, [Dy(L1 )(µ-Cl)(thf)]2 (1; H2 L1 =N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)phenylenediamine) and [Dy2 (L2 )2 (µ-Cl)2 (thf)2 ]2 (2; H2 L2 =N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)ethylenediamine) are reported. These two complexes have two short Dy-O(PhO) bonds that exhibit angles of ∼90° for 1 and ∼143° for 2, leading to clear slow relaxation of the magnetization for 2 and not for 1. Compound 2 has a near-identical core to the recently reported compound [Dy2 (L3 )2 (µ-Cl)2 (thf)2 ] (3; H2 L3 =N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N,N-bis(2'-hydroxy-3',5'-di-tert-butylbenzyl)amine). The only substantial difference is the relative angle of the two O(PhO) -Dy-O(PhO) vectors, which is collinear in 2 owing to inversion symmetry and ∼68° in 3 due to a molecular C2 axis. It is shown that this subtle structural difference leads to large differences in the dipolar ground states, giving rise to open magnetic hysteresis for 3 and not for 2.

Two-dimensional semiconducting Cu(I)/Sb(III) bimetallic hybrid iodides with a double perovskite structure and photocurrent response.

Stable lead-free hybrid halide double perovskites have sparked widespread interest as a new kind of photoelectric material. Herein, for the first time, we successfully incorporated copper(I) and antimony(III) into two two-dimensional (2D) hybrid bimetallic double perovskite iodides, namely (NH3C6H11)4CuSbI8·H2O (CuSbI-1) and (NH3C6H10NH3)2CuSbI8·0.5H2O (CuSbI-2), using cyclohexylamine and 1,4-cyclohexanediamine as organic components. The band gaps for CuSbI-1 and CuSbI-2 were determined to be 2.22(2) eV and 2.21(2) eV, respectively. Furthermore, these two layered perovskites were readily dissolved in an organic solvent (1 mL DMF can dissolve 1 g sample for each compound) and could form smooth, pinhole-free, and uniform thin films through a facile spin-coating method. Photocurrent experiments with xenon lamp irradiation revealed the obvious photoelectric responses for both 2D double perovskites. The ratio of the photocurrent to the dark current (Ilight/Idark) for CuSbI-1 and CuSbI-2 is about 23 and 10, respectively, further suggesting their potential to be applied as light harvesters or light detectors. More importantly, these 2D double perovskite iodides show high moisture and thermal stabilities, indicating their potential for optoelectronic applications.

Minimalistic Artificial Catalysts with Esterase-Like Activity from Multivalent Nanofibers Formed by the Self-Assembly of Dipeptides.

Imitating and incorporating the multiple key structural features observed in natural enzymes into a minimalistic molecule to develop an artificial catalyst with outstanding catalytic efficiency is an attractive topic for chemists. Herein, we designed and synthesized one class of minimalistic dipeptide molecules containing a terminal -SH group and a terminal His-Phe dipeptide head linked by a hydrophobic alkyl chain with different lengths, marked as HS-C n+1-His-Phe (n = 4, 7, 11, 15, and 17; n + 1 represents the carbon atom number of the alkyl chain). The His (-imidazole), Phe (-CO2 -) moieties, the terminal -SH group, and a long hydrophobic alkyl chain were found to have important contributions to achieve high binding ability leading to outstanding absolute catalytic efficiency (k cat/K M) toward the hydrolysis reactions of carboxylic ester substrates.

Radical-Bridged Heterometallic Single-Molecule Magnets Incorporating Four Lanthanoceniums.

The syntheses and magnetic properties of organometallic heterometallic compounds [K(THF)6 ]{CoI [(µ3 -HAN)RE2 Cp*4 ]2 } (1-RE) and [K(Crypt)]2 {CoI [(µ3 -HAN)RE2 Cp*4 ]2 } (2-RE) containing hexaazatrinaphthylene radicals (HAN⋅3- ) and four rare earth (RE) ions are reported. 1-RE shows isolable species with ligand-based mixed valency as revealed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) thus leading to the isolation of 2-RE via one-electron chemical reduction. Strong electronic communication in mixed-valency supports stronger overall ferromagnetic behaviors in 2-RE than 1-RE containing Gd and Dy ions. Ac magnetic susceptibility data reveal 1-Dy and 2-Dy both exhibit slow magnetic relaxation. Importantly, larger coercive field was observed in the hysteresis of 2-Dy at 2.0 K, indicating the enhanced SMM behavior compared with 1-Dy. Ligand-based mixed-valency strategy has been used for the first time to improve the magnetic coupling in lanthanide (Ln) SMMs, thus opening up new ways to construct strongly coupled Ln-SMMs.

Composition and phase engineering of metal chalcogenides and phosphorous chalcogenides.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with multiphase, multielement crystals such as transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) (based on V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cd, Pt and Pd) and transition metal phosphorous chalcogenides (TMPCs) offer a unique platform to explore novel physical phenomena. However, the synthesis of a single-phase/single-composition crystal of these 2D materials via chemical vapour deposition is still challenging. Here we unravel a competitive-chemical-reaction-based growth mechanism to manipulate the nucleation and growth rate. Based on the growth mechanism, 67 types of TMCs and TMPCs with a defined phase, controllable structure and tunable component can be realized. The ferromagnetism and superconductivity in FeXy can be tuned by the y value, such as superconductivity observed in FeX and ferromagnetism in FeS2 monolayers, demonstrating the high quality of as-grown 2D materials. This work paves the way for the multidisciplinary exploration of 2D TMPCs and TMCs with unique properties.

Theoretical Study on the Multiple Free Radical Scavenging Reactions of Pyranoanthocyanins.

The free radical trapping capacities of multiple pyranoanthocyanins in wine storage and ageing were theoretically explored by density functional theory (DFT) methods. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds were detected in all pyranoanthocyanins, and the planarity of the compounds worsened with an increasing dielectric constant in the environment. Solvents significantly influenced the reaction enthalpies; thus, the preferred thermodynamic mechanisms of the free radical scavenging reactions were modified in different phases. This study incorporates hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), proton loss (PL), electron transfer (ET) reactions, and demethylation (De) of methoxy group mechanisms. The three pyranoanthocyanins have the capacity to capture n1+1 free radicals, where n1 represents the number of methoxy groups. In the gas phase, they prefer employing the n1-De-HAT mechanism on the guaiacyl moiety of the B ring, resulting in the formation of a stable quinone or a quinone radical to scavenge free radicals. In the benzene phase, pyranoanthocyanins trap free radicals via a PL-n1-De-HAT mechanism. In the water phase, the targeted pyranoanthocyanins may dissociate in the form of carboxylate and tend to utilize the n2-PL-n1-De-ET mechanism, where n2 and n1 represent the number of phenolic groups and methoxy groups, respectively, facilitating multiple H+/e- reactions.

Desolvation-Degree-Induced Structural Dynamics in a Rigid Cerium-Organic Framework Exhibiting Tandem Purification of Ethylene from Acetylene and Ethane.

Due to the industrial requirements for high production and high quality of ethylene, efficient purification of ethylene from acetylene and ethane is of prime importance but challenging. Dynamic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated intriguing structural dynamics and diverse applications recently. Among them, although a few flexible ones have exhibited interesting ethylene purification capability, rigid ones were yet barely investigated for such purpose. In this regard, a cerium(III)-based MOF was solvothermally synthesized, which is rigid and assembled from rod molecular building blocks associated with coordinative N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) molecules. After liberating different degrees of DMF ligands via heating under vacuum or acetone exchange, both partially desolvated compounds of Ce-MOF-1 and Ce-MOF-2 were concertedly isolated in a fashion of single-crystal to single-crystal transformation. Although both newly generated materials crystallize in the same space group, they exhibit dissimilar unit cell parameters and slightly distinct ultramicropore sizes and pore microenvironments, thanks to the discrepancy in the desolvation degree. Consequently, Ce-MOF-1 and Ce-MOF-2 individually demonstrate C2H2- and C2H6-selective adsorption behavior, resulting in the potential tandem separation of C2H4 from C2H2 and C2H6 mixtures. The above results were successfully supported by not only single gas adsorption isotherms but also grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) calculation studies and dynamic breakthrough experiments. The present work may pave the way for rigid MOFs aiming at advancing applications via solid-state structural dynamics.

{ScnGdn} Heterometallic Rings: Tunable Ring Topology for Spin-Wave Excitations.

Data carriers using spin waves in spintronic and magnonic logic devices offer operation at low power consumption and free of Joule heating yet requiring noncollinear spin structures of small sizes. Heterometallic rings can provide such an opportunity due to the controlled spin-wave transmission within such a confined space. Here, we present a series of {ScnGdn} (n = 4, 6, 8) heterometallic rings, which are the first Sc-Ln clusters to date, with tunable magnetic interactions for spin-wave excitations. By means of time- and temperature-dependent spin dynamics simulations, we are able to predict distinct spin-wave excitations at finite temperatures for Sc4Gd4, Sc6Gd6, and Sc8Gd8. Such a new model is previously unexploited, especially due to the interplay of antiferromagnetic exchange, dipole-dipole interaction, and ring topology at low temperatures, rendering the importance of the latter to spin-wave excitations.

A C,S bonded quasi-two-coordinate chromium(II) complex showing field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behaviour.

A C,S bonded quasi-two-coordinate Cr(II) complex, Cr(SAr*)2 (HSAr* = HSC6H3-2,6(C6H2-2,4,6-Pri3)2), has been synthesized according to literature precedent. Magnetic measurements, high-frequency/field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) experiments and ab initio calculation studies show that the field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behaviour is caused by relatively weak axial magnetic anisotropy.