The {Fe2 Dy2 } butterfly systems can show single molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour, the nature of which depends on details of the electronic structure, as previously demonstrated for the [Fe2 Dy2 (μ3 -OH)2 (Me-teaH)2 (O2 CPh)6 ] compound, where the [N,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)-amino]-2-propanol (Me-teaH3 ) ligand is usually used in its racemic form. Here, we describe the consequences for the SMM properties by using enantiopure versions of this ligand and present the first homochiral 3d/4 f SMM, which could only be obtained for the S enantiomer of the ligand for [Fe2 Dy2 (μ3 -OH)2 (Me-teaH)2 (O2 CPh)6 ] since the R enantiomer underwent significant racemisation. To investigate this further, we prepared the [Fe2 Dy2 (μ3 -OH)2 (Me-teaH)2 (O2 CPh)4 (NO3 )2 ] version, which could be obtained as the RS-, R- and S-compounds. Remarkably, the enantiopure versions show enhanced slow relaxation of magnetisation. The use of the enantiomerically pure ligand suppresses QTM, leading to the conclusion that use of enantiopure ligands is a "gamechanger" by breaking the cluster symmetry and altering the intimate details of the coordination cluster's molecular structure.
Keywords: Chirality; cooperativity; dysprosium; iron; single-molecule magnets.
© 2021 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.