Cobalt(II) citrate cubane single-molecule magnet.

An investigation of the magnetic properties of the cobalt(II) citrate cubane [C(NH 2) 3] 8{Co 4(cit) 4}.4H 2O reveals that the cluster is a new cobalt(II) single-molecule magnet, with an energy barrier to reorientation of the magnetization, Delta E/ k B = 21 K, and tau 0 = 8 x 10 (-7) s. The compound displays distinct, frequency-dependent peaks in the out-of-phase (chi'') component of the ac magnetic susceptibility and magnetization versus field hysteresis loops that are temperature and sweep rate dependent. The hysteresis loops collapse at zero field due to very fast quantum tunneling of the magnetization (QTM).