Mononuclear single-molecule magnets: tailoring the magnetic anisotropy of first-row transition-metal complexes.

Magnetic anisotropy is the property that confers to the spin a preferred direction that could be not aligned with an external magnetic field. Molecules that exhibit a high degree of magnetic anisotropy can behave as individual nanomagnets in the absence of a magnetic field, due to their predisposition to maintain their inherent spin direction. Until now, it has proved very hard to predict magnetic anisotropy, and as a consequence, most synthetic work has been based on serendipitous processes in the search for large magnetic anisotropy systems. The present work shows how the property can be predicted based on the coordination numbers and electronic structures of paramagnetic centers. Using these indicators, two Co(II) complexes known from literature have been magnetically characterized and confirm the predicted single-molecule magnet behavior.