Single‐Molecule Magnet and Magnetothermal Properties of Two‐Dimensional Polymers Containing Heterometallic [Cu 5 Ln 2 ] (Ln = Gd III and Dy III ) Motifs

The reaction of a compartmental ligand N , N′ ‐bis(3‐methoxysalicylidene)‐1,3‐diamino‐2‐propanol (LH 3 ) with Cu II and Ln III salts under solvothermal conditions afforded two‐dimensional coordination polymers, [{Cu 5 Gd 2 (L) 2 (µ 3 ‐OH) 4 (NO 3 ) 4 (µ‐OH 2 ) 2 }(NO 3 ) 2 ] ∞ ( 1 ) and [{Cu 5 Dy 2 (L) 2 (µ 3 ‐OH) 4 (NO 3 ) 4 (MeOH) 2 }(NO 3 ) 2 ] ∞ ( 2 ). A detailed study of the magnetic properties of the two coordination polymers reveals that the [Cu 5 Dy 2 ] analogue shows single‐molecule magnet (SMM) behavior with an energy barrier of about 12 K with τ 0 = 10 –6 s under zero‐dc field, while the [Cu 5 Gd 2 ] analogue shows magnetocaloric effect with a –Δ S m value of 17.55 J kg –1  K –1 at T = 2 K (Δ B = 5 T). Interestingly, the magnetic and SMM properties of the previously reported molecular and one‐dimensional analogues containing the [Cu 5 Ln 2 ] motif are preserved even in the two‐dimensional coordination networks.