title: Synthesis and characterisation of a Ni4 single-molecule magnet with S4 symmetry.
abstract: [Ni4Cl4(HL)4] () {H2L=HN(CH2CH2OH)2} has S4 symmetry and crystallises in the tetragonal space group I4(1)/a. Two exchange couplings are observed between the four Ni(II) centres, with J1=7.29 cm(-1) and J2=-2.08 cm(-1), leading to an S=4 ground state. The Ni4 complex shows the onset of frequency dependent signals in the out-of-phase ac susceptibility below 3 K. In single-crystal measurements carried out using a micro-SQUID, hysteresis loops are observed below 0.5 K, confirming that shows slow relaxation of magnetisation. The loops are temperature dependent but only weakly sweep rate dependent due to the presence of small intermolecular interactions, which hinder quantum tunnelling. This exchange bias between Ni4 molecules is also seen in high-frequency high-field EPR measurements, which give the parameters D=-0.75 cm(-1), B4 degrees=-6.7x10(-5) cm(-1) and gz=2.275.
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, Department of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, UK G12 8QQ.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parkin
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Benitez
authors.forename: Konstantin V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kamenev
authors.forename: Euan K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Brechin
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wernsdorfer
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murrie