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[{Mn(TPA)I}{UO2(Mesaldien)}{Mn(TPA)I}]I formula (here TPA=tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine and Mesaldien=N,N'‐(2‐aminomethyl)diethylenebis(salicylidene imine)) reported by Mazzanti and coworkers (Chatelain et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 13434) is so far the best Single Molecule Magnet (SMM) in the {3d–5f} class of molecules exhibiting barrier height of magnetization reversal as high as 81.0 K. In this work, we have employed a combination of ab initio CAS and DFT methods to fully characterize this compound and to extract the relevant spin Hamiltonian parameters. We show that the signs of the magnetic coupling and of the g‐factors of the monomers are interconnected. The central magnetic unit [UVO2]+ is described by a Kramers Doublet (KD) with negative g‐factors, due to a large orbital contribution. The magnetic coupling for the {Mn(II)‐U(V)} pair is modeled by an anisotropic exchange Hamiltonian: all components are ferromagnetic in terms of spin moments, the parallel component JZ twice larger as the perpendicular one J⊥. The spin density distribution suggests that spin polarization on the U(V) center favors the ferromagnetic coupling. Further, the JZ/J⊥ ratio, which is related to the barrier height, was found to correlate to the corresponding spin contribution of the g‐factors of the U(V) center. This correlation established for the first time offers a direct way to estimate this important ratio from the corresponding gS‐values, which can be obtained using traditional ab initio packages and hence has a wider application to other {3d–5f} magnets. It is finally shown that the magnetization barrier height is tuned by the splitting of the [UVO2]+ 5 f orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinide +VI complexes (AnVI =UVI , NpVI and PuVI) with dipicolinic acid derivatives were synthesized and characterized by powder XRD, SQUID magnetometry and NMR spectroscopy. In addition, NpVI and PuVI complexes were described by first principles CAS based and two‐component spin‐restricted DFT methods. The analysis of the 1H paramagnetic NMR chemical shifts for all protons of the ligands according to the X‐rays structures shows that the Fermi contact contribution is negligible in agreement with spin density determined by unrestricted DFT. The magnetic susceptibility tensor is determined by combining SQUID, pNMR shifts and Evans' method. The SO‐RASPT2 results fit well the experimental magnetic susceptibility and pNMR chemical shifts. The role of the counterions in the solid phase is pointed out; their presence impacts the magnetic properties of the NpVI complex. The temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts has a strong 1/T contribution, contrarily to Bleaney's theory for lanthanide complexes. The fitting of the temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts and SQUID magnetic susceptibility by a two‐Kramers‐doublet model for the NpVI complex and a non‐Kramers‐doublet model for the PuVI complex allows for the experimental evaluation of energy gaps and magnetic moments of the paramagnetic center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of lanthanide complexes have been chosen to analyze trends in the magnetic properties and crystal field parameters (CFPs) along the two series: The highly symmetric LnZn16(picHA)16 series (Ln=Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb; picHA=picolinohydroxamic acid) and the [Ln(dpa)3](C3H5N2)3⋅3H2O series (Ln=Ce–Yb; dpa=2,6‐dipicolinic acid) with approximate three‐fold symmetry. The first series presents a compressed coordination sphere of eight oxygen atoms whereas in the second series, the coordination sphere consists of an elongated coordination sphere formed of six oxygen atoms. The CFPs have been deduced from ab initio calculations using two methods: The AILFT (ab initio ligand field theory) method, in which the parameters are determined at the orbital level, and the ITO (irreducible tensor operator) decomposition, in which the problems are treated at the many‐electron level. It has been found that the CFPs are transferable from one derivative to another, within a given series, as a first approximation. The sign of the second‐order parameter B02 differs in the two series, reflecting the different environments. It has been found that the use of the strength parameter S allows for an easy comparison between complexes. Furthermore, in both series, the parameters have been found to decrease in magnitude along the series, and this decrease is attributed to covalent effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The flexibility of first‐principles (ab initio) calculations with the SO‐CASSCF (complete active space self‐consistent field theory with a treatment of the spin‐orbit (SO) coupling by state interaction) method is used to quantify the electrostatic and covalent contributions to crystal field parameters. Two types of systems are chosen for illustration: 1) The ionic and experimentally well‐characterized PrCl3 crystal; this study permits a revisitation of the partition of contributions proposed in the early days of crystal field theory; and 2) a series of sandwich molecules [Ln(ηn‐CnHn)2]q, with Ln=Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm and n=5, 6, and 8, in which the interaction between LnIII and the aromatic ligands is more difficult to describe within an electrostatic approach. It is shown that a model with three layers of charges reproduces the electrostatic field generated by the ligands and that the covalency plays a qualitative role. The one‐electron character of crystal field theory is discussed and shown to be valuable, although it is not completely quantitative. This permits a reduction of the many‐electron problem to a discussion of the energy of the seven 4f orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using complementary experimental techniques and first-principles theoretical calculations, magnetic anisotropy in a series of five hexacoordinated nickel(II) complexes possessing a symmetry close to C2 v, has been investigated. Four complexes have the general formula [Ni(bpy)X2] n+ (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine; X2=bpy ( 1), (NCS−)2 ( 2), C2O42− ( 3), NO3− ( 4)). In the fifth complex, [Ni(HIM2-py)2(NO3)]+ ( 5; HIM2-py=2-(2-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1 H-imidazolyl-1-hydroxy), which was reported previously, the two bpy bidentate ligands were replaced by HIM2-py. Analysis of the high-field, high-frequency electronic paramagnetic resonance (HF-HFEPR) spectra and magnetization data leads to the determination of the spin Hamiltonian parameters. The D parameter, corresponding to the axial magnetic anisotropy, was negative (Ising type) for the five compounds and ranged from −1 to −10 cm−1. First-principles SO-CASPT2 calculations have been performed to estimate these parameters and rationalize the experimental values. From calculations, the easy axis of magnetization is in two different directions for complexes 2 and 3, on one hand, and 4 and 5, on the other hand. A new method is proposed to calculate the g tensor for systems with S=1. The spin Hamiltonian parameters ( D (axial), E (rhombic), and gi) are rationalized in terms of ordering of the 3 d orbitals. According to this orbital model, it can be shown that 1) the large magnetic anisotropy of 4 and 5 arises from splitting of the eg-like orbitals and is due to the difference in the σ-donor strength of NO3− and bpy or HIM2-py, whereas the difference in anisotropy between the two compounds is due to splitting of the t2g-like orbitals; and 2) the anisotropy of complexes 1- 3 arises from the small splitting of the t2g-like orbitals. The direction of the anisotropy axis can be rationalized by the proposed orbital model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of neptunyl(VI), NpO22+, and two neptunyl complexes, [NpO2(NO3)3]− and [NpO2Cl4]2−, were studied with a combination of theoretical methods: ab initio relativistic wavefunction methods and density functional theory (DFT), as well as crystal-field (CF) models with parameters extracted from the ab initio calculations. Natural orbitals for electron density and spin magnetization from wavefunctions including spin-orbit coupling were employed to analyze the connection between the electronic structure and magnetic properties, and to link the results from CF models to the ab initio data. Free complex ions and systems embedded in a crystal environment were studied. Of prime interest were the electron paramagnetic resonance g-factors and their relation to the complex geometry, ligand coordination, and nature of the nonbonding 5f orbitals. The g-factors were calculated for the ground and excited states. For [NpO2Cl4]2−, a strong influence of the environment of the complex on its magnetic behavior was demonstrated. Kohn-Sham DFT with standard functionals can produce reasonable g-factors as long as the calculation converges to a solution resembling the electronic state of interest. However, this is not always straightforward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]