Three complexes of the form [Ln(III)3(OQ)9] (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy; OQ = 8-quinolinolate) have been synthesized and their magnetic properties studied. The trinuclear complexes adopt V-shaped geometries with three bridging 8-quinolinolate oxygen atoms between the central and peripheral eight-coordinate metal atoms. The magnetic properties of these three complexes differ greatly. Variable-temperature direct-current (dc) magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that the gadolinium and terbium complexes display weak antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor magnetic exchange interactions. This was quantified in the isotropic gadolinium case with an exchangecoupling parameter of J = -0.068(2) cm(-1). The dysprosium compound displays weak ferromagnetic exchange. Variable-frequency and -temperature alternating-current magnetic susceptibility measurements on the anisotropic cases reveal that the dysprosium complex displays single-molecule-magnet behavior, in zero dc field, with two distinct relaxation modes of differing time scales within the same molecule. Analysis of the data revealed anisotropy barriers of Ueff = 92 and 48 K for the two processes. The terbium complex, on the other hand, displays no such behavior in zero dc field, but upon application of a static dc field, slow magnetic relaxation can be observed. Ab initio and electrostatic calculations were used in an attempt to explain the origin of the experimentally observed slow relaxation of the magnetization for the dysprosium complex.

Reactions of 8-hydroxyquinoline (HOQ) with elemental rare-earth and transition metal combinations or alloys at 200–300°C yielded a variety of complexes, albeit in very low yields, including two structurally characterised homometallic complexes containing an unexpected biquinolinolate ligand. Reaction of HOQ with SmCo5 alloy gives rise to the complexes [SmCo2(OQ)7] (1), [Co4(OQ)4(BQ)2] (2), and [Sm3(OQ)5(BQ)2(H2O)] (3Sm), where BQ is 2,7′-biquinoline-8,8′-diolate, resulting from an unusual coupling reaction between two OQ/HOQ species at the 2 and 7′ positions. Complexes 1–3 and HOQ co-crystal 2·2HOQ were isolated as single crystals from separate reactions although formation of other products under the reaction conditions used was likely. Analogues of 3Sm with erbium and ytterbium were obtained using respective rare-earth metal filing in combination with nickel powder. Reaction involving cobalt powder only, without any rare-earth metals, yielded a homoleptic complex containing only the 8-quinolinolate ligand i.e. [Co4(OQ)8] (4). These results highlight the rewards, in terms of rich synthetic chemistry, and pitfalls, in terms of yield and isolation, of the pseudo-solid state synthetic approach using 8-quinolinolate ligands.

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