Uranium and manganese assembled in a wheel-shaped nanoscale single-molecule magnet with high spin-re

Abstract

Discrete molecular compounds that exhibit both magnetization hysteresis and slow magnetic relaxation below a characteristic ‘blocking’ temperature are known as single-molecule magnets. These are promising for applications including memory devices and quantum computing, but require higher spin-inversion barriers and hysteresis temperatures than currently achieved. After twenty years of research confined to the d- block transition metals, scientists are moving to the f-block to generate these properties. We have now prepared, by cation-promoted self-assembly, a large 5f–3d U12Mn6 cluster that adopts a wheel topology and exhibits single-molecule magnet behaviour. This uranium-based molecular wheel shows an open magnetic hysteresis loop at low temperature, with a non-zero coercive field (below 4 K) and quantum tunnelling steps (below 2.5 K), which suggests that uranium might indeed provide a route to magnetic storage devices. This molecule also represents an interesting model for actinide nanoparticles occurring in the environment and in spent fuel separation cycles. A {U12Mn6} wheel-shaped cluster that has been assembled through cation–cation interactions exhibits single-molecule-magnet behaviour. Single-molecule magnets are promising for magnetic storage devices at the nanoscale, and the observation of magnetic bistability with an open hysteresis loop and high relaxation barrier in this 5f–3d complex suggests that uranium-based compounds could be useful components.

Cite this article

Mougel, V., Chatelain, L., Pécaut, J. et al. Uranium and manganese assembled in a wheel-shaped nanoscale single-molecule magnet with high spin-reversal barrier. Nature Chem 4, 1011–1017 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1494

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