Conductivity Enhancement in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: A Complex Water Intercalation and Desorption Mechanism.

The complexity of the water adsorption-desorption mechanism at the interface of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and its impact on their current transport are not yet fully understood. Here, our work investigates the swift intercalation of atmospheric adsorbates at the TMD and sapphire interface and between two TMD monolayers and probes its influence on their electrical properties. The adsorbates consist mainly of hydroxyl-based (OH) species in the subsurface region suggesting persistent water intercalation even under vacuum conditions, as determined by time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Water intercalates there rapidly, within the order of a few minutes after being exposed to ambient atmosphere, this process tends to be partly reversible under (ultra)high vacuum, as observed by time-dependent scanning probe microscopy (SPM) based conductivity and ToF-SIMS measurements. A significant enhancement of the electronic properties is observed with the complete desorption of intercalated water clusters because of the pressure-induced melting effect under the tip of the SPM probe. Conversely, it also indicates that the characterization of TMD samples is substantially affected in air, in inert environments, and to some extent even in a vacuum if water intercalation is present. More importantly, STM analysis has uncovered a correlation between water intercalation and the presence of defects, showcasing their role in the gradual degradation of the material as it ages.

Single-Ion Anisotropy and Intramolecular Interactions in CeIII and NdIII Dimers.

This article reports the syntheses, characterization, structural description, together with magnetic and spectroscopic properties of two isostructural molecular magnets based on the chiral ligand N,N'-bis((1,2-diphenyl-(pyridine-2-yl)methylene)-(R,R/S,S)-ethane-1,2-diamine), L1, of general formula [Ln2(RR-L1)2(Cl6)]·MeOH·1.5H2O, (Ln = Ce (1) or Nd (2)). Multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), cantilever torque magnetometry (CTM) measurements, and ab initio calculations allowed us to determine single-ion magnetic anisotropy and intramolecular magnetic interactions in both compounds, evidencing a more important role of the anisotropic exchange for the NdIII derivative. The comparison of experimental and theoretical data indicates that, in the case of largely rhombic lanthanide ions, ab initio calculations can fail in determining the orientation of the weakest components, while being reliable in determining their principal values. However, they remain of paramount importance to set the analysis of EPR and CTM on sound basis, thus obtaining a very precise picture of the magnetic interactions in these systems. Finally, the electronic structure of the two complexes, as obtained by this approach, is consistent with the absence of zero-field slow relaxation observed in ac susceptibility.

Effect of Coordination Geometry on Magnetic Properties in a Series of Cobalt(II) Complexes and Structural Transformation in Mother Liquor.

The three Co(II) complexes [Co(bbp)2][Co(NCS)4]·4DMF (1), [Co(bbp)(NCS)2(DMF)]·2DMF (2), and [Co(bbp)(NCS)2] (3) have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic, and various spectroscopic techniques. Complexes 1 and 3 are obtained by the reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 2,6-bis(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)pyridine (bbp), and complex 1 undergoes a structural transformation to form complex 2. A single-crystal X-ray study revealed that complex 1 is comprised of two Co(II) centers, a cationic octahedral Co(II) unit and an anionic tetrahedral Co(II) unit, while the Co(II) ion is in a distorted-octahedral environment in 2. Moreover, in complex 3, the Co(II) ion is in a distorted-square-pyramidal geometry. The effect of coordination geometry on the magnetic properties was studied by both static and dynamic magnetic measurements. Direct current (dc) magnetic susceptibility measurements showed that all of the Co(II) ions are in high-spin state in these complexes. Alternating current (ac) magnetic susceptibility measurements indicated that complexes 2 and 3 display slow relaxation of magnetization in an external dc magnetic field, while complex 1 displayed no such property. EPR experiments and theoretical calculations were consistent with the above findings.

Single-ion anisotropy and exchange coupling in cobalt(ii)-radical complexes: insights from magnetic and ab initio studies.

The concurrent effects of single-ion anisotropy and exchange interactions on the electronic structure and magnetization dynamics have been analyzed for a cobalt(ii)-semiquinonate complex. Analogs containing diamagnetic catecholate and tropolonate ligands were employed for comparison of the magnetic behavior and zinc congeners assisted with the spectroscopic characterization and assessment of intermolecular interactions in the cobalt(ii) compounds. Low temperature X-band (ν ≈ 9.4 GHz) and W-Band (ν ≈ 94 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and static and dynamic magnetic measurements have been used to elucidate the electronic structure of the high spin cobalt(ii) ion in [Co(Me3tpa)(Br4cat)] (1; Me3tpa = tris[(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)methyl]amine, Br4cat2- = tetrabromocatecholate) and [Co(Me3tpa)(trop)](PF6) (2(PF6); trop- = tropolonate), which show slow relaxation of the magnetization in applied field. The cobalt(ii)-semiquinonate exchange interaction in [Co(Me3tpa)(dbsq)](PF6)·tol (3(PF6)·tol; dbsq- = 3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinonate, tol = toluene) has been determined using an anisotropic exchange Hamiltonian in conjunction with multistate restricted active space self-consistent field ab initio modeling and wavefunction analysis, with comparison to magnetic and inelastic neutron scattering data. Our results demonstrate dominant ferromagnetic exchange for 3+ that is of similar magnitude to the anisotropy parameters of the cobalt(ii) ion and contains a significant contribution from spin-orbit coupling. The nature of the exchange coupling between octahedral high spin cobalt(ii) and semiquinonate ligands is a longstanding question; answering this question for the specific case of 3+ has confirmed the considerable sensitivity of the exchange to the molecular structure. The methodology employed will be generally applicable for elucidating exchange coupling between orbitally-degenerate metal ions and radical ligands and relevant to the development of bistable molecules and their integration into devices.

DFT Prediction and Experimental Investigation of Valence Tautomerism in Cobalt-Dioxolene Complexes.

The family of complexes of general formula [Co(Me ntpa)(Xdiox)]+ (tpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, n = 0-3 corresponds to successive methylation of the 6-position of the pyridine rings; X = Br4, Cl4, H4, 3,5-Me2, 3,5- tBu2; diox = dioxolene) was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict the likelihood of valence tautomerism (VT). The OPBE functional with relativistic and solvent corrections allowed accurate reproduction of trends in spin-state energetics, affording the prediction of VT in complex [Co(Me3tpa)(Br4diox)]+ (1+). One-electron oxidation of neutral precursor [CoII(Me3tpa)(Br4cat)] (1) enabled isolation of target compounds 1(PF6) and 1(BPh4). Solution variable-temperature UV-vis absorption and Evans method magnetic susceptibility data confirm DFT predictions that 1+ exists in a temperature-dependent valence tautomeric equilibrium between low-spin Co(III)-catecholate and high-spin Co(II)-semiquinonate forms. The solution VT transition temperature of 1+ is solvent-tunable with critical temperatures in the range of 291-359 K for the solvents measured. Solid-state magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1(PF6) and 1(BPh4) reveal the onset of VT transitions above room temperature.

Single Crystal Investigations Unravel the Magnetic Anisotropy of the "Square-In Square" Cr4Dy4 SMM Coordination Cluster.

In the search for new single molecule magnets (SMM), i.e., molecular systems that can retain their magnetization without the need to apply an external magnetic field, a successful strategy is to associate 3d and 4f ions to form molecular coordination clusters. In order to efficiently design such systems, it is necessary to chemically project both the magnetic building blocks and the resultant interaction before the synthesis. Lanthanide ions can provide the required easy axis magnetic anisotropy that hampers magnetization reversal. In the rare examples of 3d/4f SMMs containing CrIII ions, the latter turn out to act as quasi-isotropic anchors which can also interact via 3d-4f coupling to neighbouring Ln centres. This has been demonstrated in cases where the intramolecular exchange interactions mediated by CrIII ions effectively reduce the efficiency of tunnelling without applied magnetic field. However, describing such high nuclearity systems remains challenging, from both experimental and theoretical perspectives, because the overall behaviour of the molecular cluster is heavily affected by the orientation of the individual anisotropy axes. These are in general non-collinear to each other. In this article, we combine single crystal SQUID and torque magnetometry studies of the octanuclear [Cr4Dy4(µ3-OH)4(µ-N3)4(mdea)4(piv)8]·3CH2Cl2 single molecule magnet (piv=pivalate and mdea=N-methyldiethanol amine). These experiments allowed us to probe the magnetic anisotropy of this complex which displays slow magnetization dynamics due to the peculiar arrangement of the easy-axis anisotropy on the Dy sites. New ab initio calculations considering the entire cluster are in agreement with our experimental results.

Scaling Up Electronic Spin Qubits into a Three-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework.

Practical implementation of highly coherent molecular spin qubits for challenging technological applications, such as quantum information processing or quantum sensing, requires precise organization of electronic qubit molecular components into extended frameworks. Realization of spatial control over qubit-qubit distances can be achieved by coordination chemistry approaches through an appropriate choice of the molecular building blocks. However, translating single qubit molecular building units into extended arrays does not guarantee a priori retention of long quantum coherence and spin-lattice relaxation times due to the introduced modifications over qubit-qubit reciprocal distances and molecular crystal lattice phonon structure. In this work, we report the preparation of a three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework (MOF) based on vanadyl qubits, [VO(TCPP-Zn2-bpy)] (TCPP = tetracarboxylphenylporphyrinate; bpy = 4,4'-bipyridyl) (1), and the investigation of how such structural modifications influence qubits' performances. This has been done through a multitechnique approach where the structure and properties of a representative molecular building block of formula [VO(TPP)] (TPP = tetraphenylporphyrinate) (2) have been compared with those of the 3D MOF 1. Pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance measurements on magnetically diluted samples in titanyl isostructural analogues revealed that coherence times are retained almost unchanged for 1 with respect to 2 up to room temperature, while the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time revealed insights into the role of low-energy vibrations, detected through terahertz spectroscopy, on the spin dynamics.

Slow Magnetic Relaxation in Lanthanoid Crown Ether Complexes: Interplay of Raman and Anomalous Phonon Bottleneck Processes.

The combination of lanthanoid nitrates with 18-crown-6 (18-c-6) and tetrahalocatecholate (X4 Cat2- , X=Cl, Br) ligands has afforded two compound series [Ln(18-c-6)(X4 Cat)(NO3 )]⋅MeCN (X=Cl, 1-Ln; X=Br, 2-Ln; Ln=La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy). The 18-c-6 ligands occupy equatorial positions of a distorted sphenocorona geometry, whereas the charged ligands occupy the axial positions. The analogues of both series with Ln=Ce, Nd, Tb and Dy exhibit out-of-phase ac magnetic susceptibility signals in the presence of an applied magnetic field, indicative of slow magnetization relaxation. When diluted into a diamagnetic La host to reduce dipolar interactions, the Dy analogue exhibits slow relaxation up to 20 K in the absence of an applied dc field. Concerted magnetic measurements, EPR spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations have allowed elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for slow magnetic relaxation. A consistent approach has been applied to quantitatively model the relaxation data for different lanthanoid analogues, suggesting that the spin dynamics are governed by Raman processes at higher temperatures, transitioning to a dominant phonon bottleneck process as the temperature is decreased, with an observed T-6 rather than the usual T-2 dependence (T is temperature). This anomalous thermal dependence of the phonon bottleneck relaxation is consistent with anharmonic effects in the lattice dynamics, which was predicted by Van Vleck more than 70 years ago.

Slow magnetisation relaxation in tetraoxolene-bridged rare earth complexes.

Three families of tetraoxolene-bridged dinuclear rare earth (RE) complexes have been synthesised and characterised, with general formula [((HB(pz)3)2RE)2(µ-tetraoxolene)] (HB(pz)3- = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate; tetraoxolene = chloranilate (1-RE), the dianionic form of 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (2-RE), or its 3,6-dimethyl analogue (3-RE)). In each case, the bridging tetraoxolene ligand is in the diamagnetic dianionic form and species with selected lanthanoid(iii) ions from Eu(iii) to Yb(iii) have been obtained, as well as the diamagnetic Y(iii) analogues. Use of the 3,6-dimethyl substituted tetraoxolene ligand (Me2-dhbq2-) has also afforded the two byproducts [((HB(pz)3)(MeOH)(B(OMe)4)Y)2(µ-Me2dhbq)] (4-Y) and [{((HB(pz)3)(MeOH)Y)2(µ-B(OMe)4)}2(µ-Me2dhbq)2]Cl2 (5-Y), with the B(OMe)4- ligands arising from partial decomposition of HB(pz)3-. Electrochemical studies on the soluble 1-RE and 3-RE families indicate multiple tetraoxolene-based redox processes. Magnetochemical and EPR studies of 3-Gd indicate the negligible magnetic coupling between the two Gd(iii) centres through the diamagnetic tetraoxolene bridge. Alternating current magnetic susceptibility studies of 1-Dy and 3-Dy reveal slow magnetic relaxation, with quantum tunnelling of the magnetisation (QTM) dominant in the absence of an applied dc field. The application of a dc field suppresses the QTM and relaxation data are consistent with an Orbach relaxation mechanism playing a major role in both cases, with effective energy barriers to magnetisation reversal determined as 47 and 24 K for 1-Dy and 3-Dy, respectively. The different dynamic magnetic behaviour evident for 1-Dy and 3-Dy arises from small differences in the local Dy(iii) coordination environments, highlighting the subtle structural effects responsible for the electronic structure and resulting magnetic behaviour.

Investigation into the Effects of a Trigonal-Planar Ligand Field on the Electronic Properties of Lanthanide(II) Tris(silylamide) Complexes (Ln = Sm, Eu, Tm, Yb).

In recent work we have reported the synthesis and physical properties of near-linear Ln(II) (Ln = lanthanide) complexes utilizing the bulky bis(silylamide) {N(SiiPr3)2}. Herein, we synthesize trigonal-planar Ln(II) complexes by employing a smaller bis(silylamide), {N(SitBuMe2)2} (N**), to study the effects of this relatively rare Ln geometry/oxidation state combination on the magnetic and optical properties of complexes. We show that the charge-separated trigonal-planar Ln(II) complexes [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Ln(N**)3] (Ln = Sm (1), Eu (2), Tm (3), Yb (4)) can be prepared by the reaction of 1.5 equiv of [{K(N**)}2] with LnI2THF2 (Ln = Sm, Yb) or LnI2 (Ln = Eu, Tm) and 1 equiv of 2.2.2-cryptand in Et2O. Complex 3 is the first structurally characterized trigonal-planar Tm(II) complex. In the absence of 2.2.2-cryptand, [K(DME)3][Sm(N**)3] (5) and [Ln(N**)2(µ-N**)K(toluene)2] (Ln = Sm (6), Eu (7)) were isolated in the presence of DME (dimethoxyethane) or toluene, respectively. The 1:1 reaction of [{K(N**)}2] with LnI2THF2 (Ln = Sm, Yb) in THF gave the four-coordinate pseudo-tetrahedral Lewis base adducts [Ln(N**)2(THF)2] (Ln = Sm (8), Yb (9)) and the cyclometalated complex [Yb(N**){N(SitBuMe2)(SitBuMeCH2)}(THF)] (10). Complexes 1-10 have been characterized as appropriate by single-crystal XRD, magnetic measurements, multinuclear NMR, EPR, and electronic spectroscopy, together with CASSCF-SO and DFT calculations. The physical properties of 1-4 are compared and contrasted with those of closely related near-linear Ln(II) bis(silylamide) complexes.

Measuring Spin⋠⋠⋠Spin Interactions between Heterospins in a Hybrid [2]Rotaxane.

Use of molecular electron spins as qubits for quantum computing will depend on the ability to produce molecules with weak but measurable interactions between the qubits. Here we demonstrate use of pulsed EPR spectroscopy to measure the interaction between two inequivalent spins in a hybrid rotaxane molecule.

Analysis of Lanthanide-Radical Magnetic Interactions in Ce(III) 2,2'-Bipyridyl Complexes.

A series of lanthanide complexes bearing organic radical ligands, [Ln(CpR)2(bipy·-)] [Ln = La, CpR = Cptt (1); Ln = Ce, CpR = Cptt (2); Ln = Ce, CpR = Cp″ (3); Ln = Ce, CpR = Cp‴ (4)] [Cptt = {C5H3tBu2-1,3}-; Cp″ = {C5H3(SiMe3)2-1,3}-; Cp‴ = {C5H2(SiMe3)3-1,2,4}-; bipy = 2,2'-bipyridyl], were prepared by reduction of [Ln(CpR)2(µ-I)]2 or [Ce(Cp‴)2(I) (THF)] with KC8 in the presence of bipy (THF = tetrahydrofuran). Complexes 1-4 were thoroughly characterized by structural, spectroscopic, and computational methods, together with magnetism and cyclic voltammetry, to define an unambiguous Ln(III)/bipy·- radical formulation. These complexes can act as selective reducing agents; for example, the reaction of 3 with benzophenone gives [{Ce(Cp")2(bipy)}2{κ2-O,O'-OPhC(C6H5)CPh2O}] (7), a rare example of a "head-to-tail" coupling product. We estimate the intramolecular exchange coupling for 2-4 using multiconfigurational and spin Hamiltonian methods and find that the commonly used Lines-type isotropic exchange is not appropriate, even for single 4f e-/organic radical pairs.

A Trigonal Prismatic Mononuclear Cobalt(II) Complex Showing Single-Molecule Magnet Behavior.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with one transition-metal ion often rely on unusual geometry as a source of magnetically anisotropic ground state. Here we report a cobalt(II) cage complex with a trigonal prism geometry showing single ion magnet behavior with very high Orbach relaxation barrier of 152 cm(-1). This, to our knowledge, is the largest reported relaxation barrier for a cobalt-based mononuclear SMM. The trigonal prismatic coordination provided by the macrocyclic ligand gives intrinsically more stable molecular species than previously reported SMMs, thus making this type of cage complexes more amendable to possible functionalization that will boost their magnetic anisotropy even further.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Magnetic Anisotropy in Lanthanide(III)-Centered Fe3 Ln Propellers.

Compounds [Fe3 Ln(tea)2 (dpm)6 ] (Fe3 Ln; Ln= Tb-Yb, H3 tea=triethanolamine, Hdpm=dipivaloylmethane) were synthesized as lanthanide(III)-centered variants of tetrairon(III) single-molecule magnets (Fe4 ) and isolated in crystalline form. Compounds with Ln=Tb-Tm are isomorphous and show crystallographic threefold symmetry. The coordination environment of the rare earth, given by two tea(3-) ligands, can be described as a bicapped distorted trigonal prism with D3 symmetry. Magnetic measurements showed the presence of weak ferromagnetic Fe⋅⋅⋅Ln interactions for derivatives with Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er, and of weak antiferromagnetic or negligible coupling in complexes with Tm and Yb. Alternating current susceptibility measurements showed simple paramagnetic behavior down to 1.8 K and for frequencies reaching 10000 Hz, despite the easy-axis magnetic anisotropy found in Fe3 Dy, Fe3 Er, and Fe3 Tm by single-crystal angle-resolved magnetometry. Relativistic quantum chemistry calculations were performed on Fe3 Ln (Ln=Tb-Tm): the ground J multiplet of Ln(3+) ion is split by the crystal field to give a ground singlet state for Tb and Tm, and a doublet for Dy, Ho, and Er with a large admixture of mJ states. Gyromagnetic factors result in no predominance of gz component along the threefold axis, with comparable gx and gy values in all compounds. It follows that the environment provided by the tea(3-) ligands, though uniaxial, is unsuitable to promote slow magnetic relaxation in Fe3 Ln species.

Strong magneto-chiral dichroism in a paramagnetic molecular helix observed by hard X-ray.

Magneto-chiral dichroism (MχD) is a non-reciprocal, i. e. directional, effect observed in magnetised chiral systems featuring an unbalanced absorption of unpolarised light depending on the direction of the magnetisation. Despite the fundamental interest in a phenomenon breaking both parity and time reversal symmetries, MχD is one of the least investigated aspects of light-matter interaction because of the weakness of the effect in most reported experiments. Here we have exploited the element selectivity of hard X-ray radiation to investigate the magneto-chiral properties of enentiopure crsytals of two isostructural molecular helicoidal chains comprising Cobalt(II) and Manganese (II) ions, respectively. A strong magneto-chiral dichroism, with Kuhn asymmetry of the order of a few percent, has been observed in the Cobalt chain system, while it is practically absent for the Manganese derivative. The spectral features of the XMχD signal differ significantly from the natural and magnetic dichroic contributions and have been here rationalized using the simple multipolar expansion of matter-radiation interaction.

Adding remnant magnetization and anisotropic exchange to propeller-like single-molecule magnets through chemical design.

The selective replacement of the central iron(III) ion with vanadium(III) in a tetrairon(III) propeller-shaped single-molecule magnet has allowed us to increase the ground spin state from S=5 to S=13/2. As a consequence of the pronounced anisotropy of vanadium(III), the blocking temperature for the magnetization has doubled. Moreover, a significant remnant magnetization, practically absent in the parent homometallic molecule, has been achieved owing to the suppression of zero-field tunneling of the magnetization for the half-integer molecular spin. Interestingly, the contribution of vanadium(III) to the magnetic anisotropy barrier occurs through the anisotropic exchange interaction with iron(III) spins and not through single ion anisotropy as in most single-molecule magnets.

Angular-resolved magnetometry beyond triclinic crystals part II: torque magnetometry of Cp*ErCOT single-molecule magnets.

The experimental investigation of the molecular magnetic anisotropy in crystals in which the magnetic centers are symmetry related, but do not have a parallel orientation has been approached by using torque magnetometry. A single crystal of the orthorhombic organometallic Cp*ErCOT [Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadiene anion (C5Me5(-)); COT=cyclooctatetraenedianion (C8H8(2-))] single-molecule magnet, characterized by the presence of two nonparallel families of molecules in the crystal, has been investigated above its blocking temperature. The results confirm an Ising-type anisotropy with the easy direction pointing along the pseudosymmetry axis of the complex, as previously suggested by out-of-equilibrium angular-resolved magnetometry. The use of torque magnetometry, not requiring the presence of magnetic hysteresis, proves to be even more powerful for these purposes than standard single-crystal magnetometry. Furthermore, exploiting the sensitivity and versatility of this technique, magnetic anisotropy has been investigated up to 150 K, providing additional information on the crystal-field splitting of the ground J multiplet of the Er(III) ion.

Mapping of single-site magnetic anisotropy tensors in weakly coupled spin clusters by torque magnetometry.

Single-crystal torque magnetometry performed on weakly-coupled polynuclear systems provides access to a complete description of single-site anisotropy tensors. Variable-temperature, variable-field torque magnetometry was used to investigate triiron(III) complex [Fe3La(tea)2(dpm)6] (Fe3La), a lanthanum(III)-centred variant of tetrairon(III) single molecule magnets (Fe4) (H3tea = triethanolamine, Hdpm = dipivaloylmethane). Due to the presence of the diamagnetic lanthanoid, magnetic interactions among iron(III) ions (si = 5/2) are very weak (<0.1 cm(−1)) and the magnetic response of Fe3La is predominantly determined by single-site anisotropies. The local anisotropy tensors were found to have Di > 0 and to be quasi-axial with |Ei/Di| ~ 0.05. Their hard axes form an angle of approximately 70° with the threefold molecular axis, which therefore corresponds to an easy magnetic direction for the molecule. The resulting picture was supported by a High Frequency EPR investigation and by DFT calculations. Our study confirms that the array of peripheral iron(III) centres provides substantially noncollinear anisotropy contributions to the ground state of Fe4 complexes, which are of current interest in molecular magnetism and spintronics.

Magnetic poles determinations and robustness of memory effect upon solubilization in a Dy(III)-based single ion magnet.

The [Dy(tta)3(L)] complex behaves as a single ion magnet both in its crystalline phase and in solution. Experimental and theoretical magnetic anisotropy axes perfectly match and lie along the most electro-negative atoms of the coordination sphere. Both VSM and MCD measurements highlight the robustness of the complex, with persistence of the memory effect even in solution up to 4 K.

Angular-resolved magnetometry beyond triclinic crystals: out-of-equilibrium studies of Cp*ErCOT single-molecule magnet.

Angular-resolved single-crystal magnetometry is a key tool to characterise lanthanide-based materials with low symmetry, for which conjectures based on idealised geometries can be totally misleading. Unfortunately the technique is strictly successful only for triclinic structures, thus reducing significantly its application. By collecting out-of-equilibrium magnetisation data the technique was extended to the orthorhombic organometallic Cp*ErCOT single-molecule magnet (SMM), thus allowing for the first time the reconstruction of the molecular anisotropy tensor notwithstanding the two molecular orientations in the crystal lattice. The results, flanked by state-of-the-art ab initio calculations, confirmed the expected orientation of the molecular easy axis of magnetisation and thus validated the synthetic strategy based on organometallic complexes of a single lanthanide ion.