Heterospin frustration in a metal-fullerene-bonded semiconductive antiferromagnet

Yongbing Shen, Mengxing Cui, Shinya Takaishi, Hideyuki Kawasoko, Kunihisa Sugimoto, Takao Tsumuraya, Akihiro Otsuka, Eunsang Kwon, Takefumi Yoshida, Norihisa Hoshino, Kazuhiko Kawachi, Yasuhiko Kasama, Tomoyuki Akutagawa, Tomoteru Fukumura, Masahiro Yamashita

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lithium-ion-encapsulated fullerenes (Li+@C60) are 3D superatoms with rich oxidative states. Here we show a conductive and magnetically frustrated metal–fullerene-bonded framework {[Cu4(Li@C60)(L)(py)4](NTf2)(hexane)}n (1) (L = 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(methanesulfonamido)benzene, py = pyridine, NTf2 = bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide anion) prepared from redox-active dinuclear metal complex Cu2(L)(py)4 and lithium-ion-encapsulated fullerene salt (Li+@C60)(NTf2). Electron donor Cu2(L)(py)2 bonds to acceptor Li+@C60 via eight Cu‒C bonds. Cu–C bond formation stems from spontaneous charge transfer (CT) between Cu2(L)(py)4 and (Li+@C60)(NTf2) by removing the two-terminal py molecules, yielding triplet ground state [Cu2(L)(py)2]+(Li+@C60•−), evidenced by absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, magnetic properties and quantum chemical calculations. Moreover, Li+@C60•− radicals (S = ½) and Cu2+ ions (S = ½) interact antiferromagnetically in triangular spin lattices in the absence of long-range magnetic ordering to 1.8 K. The low-temperature heat capacity indicated that compound 1 is a potential candidate for an S = ½ quantum spin liquid (QSL).

Original languageEnglish
Article number495
JournalNature communications
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022 Dec

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • General
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

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