The reaction of fluoride anions with mononuclear rare-earth(III)
complexes of the hexaazamacrocycle derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine
and ethylenediamine affords trinuclear coordination compounds [Ln
3
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
4
(NO
3
)
2
](NO
3
)
3
. The X-ray
crystal structures of these complexes show triplex cationic complexes
where the three roughly parallel macrocyclic lanthanide(III) units
are linked by bis-μ2-F bridges. The detailed analysis
of the photophysical properties of the [Eu
3
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
4
(NO
3
)
2
](NO
3
)
3
·2H
2
O and [Tb
3
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
4
(NO
3
)
2
](NO
3
)
3
·3H
2
O complexes reveals different temperature dependence
of luminescence intensity and luminescence decay time of the Eu(III)
and Tb(III) derivatives. The spectra of mixed species of average composition [Eu
1.5
Tb
1.5
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
4
(NO
3
)
2
](NO
3
)
3
·3H
2
O are in accordance with the ratiometric luminescent
thermometer behavior. Measurements of the direct-current (dc) magnetic
susceptibility of the [Dy
3
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
4
(NO
3
)
2
](NO
3
)
3
·2H
2
O complex indicate possible ferromagnetic interactions between the
Dy(III) ions. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements
of this complex indicate single-molecule magnet behavior in zero dc
field with magnetic relaxation dominated by Orbach mechanism and an
effective energy barrier U
eff = 12.3 cm–1 (17.7 K) with a pre-exponential relaxation time,
τ0 of 7.3 × 10–6 s. A similar
reaction of mononuclear macrocyclic complexes with a higher number
of fluoride equivalents results in polymeric {[Ln
3
L
3
(μ
2
-F)
5
](NO
3
)
4
}
n
complexes.
The X-ray crystal structure of the Nd(III) derivative of this type
shows trinuclear units that are additionally linked by single fluoride
bridges to form a linear coordination polymer.