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Investigating Complex Magnetic Anisotropy in a Co(II) Molecular Compound: A Charge Density and Correlated Ab Initio Electronic Structure Study

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  • Emil Damgaard-Møller
  • ,
  • Lennard Krause
  • Helene Lassen
  • ,
  • Lorraine A Malaspina, University of Bremen
  • ,
  • Simon Grabowsky, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Heiko Bamberger, University of Stuttgart
  • ,
  • Jake McGuire, University of Glasgow
  • ,
  • Haralampos N Miras, University of Glasgow
  • ,
  • Stephen Sproules, University of Glasgow
  • ,
  • Jacob Overgaard

Understanding magnetic anisotropy and specifically how to tailor it is crucial in the search for high-temperature single-ion magnets. Herein, we investigate the magnetic anisotropy in a six-coordinated cobalt(II) compound that has a complex geometry and distinct triaxial magnetic anisotropy from the perspective of the electronic structure, using electronic spectra, ab initio calculations, and an experimental charge density, of which the latter two provides insight into the d-orbital splitting. The analysis showed that the d-orbital splitting satisfactorily predicted the complex triaxial magnetic anisotropy exhibited by the compound. Furthermore, a novel method to directly compare the ab initio results and the d-orbital populations obtained from the experimental charge density was developed, while a topological analysis of the density provided insights into the metal-ligand bonding. This work thus further establishes the validity of using d-orbitals for predicting magnetic anisotropy in transition metal compounds while also pointing out the need for a more frequent usage of the term triaxial anisotropy in the field of single-molecule magnetism.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInorganic Chemistry
Volume59
Issue18
Pages (from-to)13190-13200
Number of pages11
ISSN0020-1669
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

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