Single ion magnet behaviour is reported for a mononuclear Mn(III) ion with tridentate Schiff-base ligands which exhibits a tetragonal Jahn–Teller elongation along the N_amine–Mn–N_amine axis and crystallises with two crystallographically distinct Mn(III) cations (unit A and unit B). While magnetic measurements show a large and negative axial zero-field splitting (D = −4.73 cm⁻¹), HF-EPR reveal two distinct large axial Ds (D = −4.60 cm⁻¹ for unit A and D = −4.18 cm⁻¹ for unit B), thus resulting in the largest D known to date for a Mn(III) single ion magnet. AC magnetic measurements at 2000 Oe allowed determination of the energy barrier for spin reversal (10.19 K) and spin reversal relaxation time (1.476 × 10⁻⁶ s) for the Mn(III) ion. Computational studies were used to characterise the electronic structure and substantiate the zero field splitting in the Mn(III) complex.

Studying the properties of complex molecules on surfaces is still mostly an unexplored research area because the deposition of the metal complexes has many pitfalls. Herein, we probed the possibility to produce surface hybrids by depositing a Co(II)-based complex with chalcone ligands on chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene by a wet-chemistry approach and by thermal sublimation under high vacuum_. Samples were characterized by high-frequency electron spin resonance (HF-ESR), XPS, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical microscopy, supported with density functional theory (DFT) and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF)/N-electron valence second-order perturbation theory (NEVPT2) calculations. This compound’s rationale is its structure, with several aromatic rings for weak binding and possible favorable π–π stacking onto graphene. In contrast to expectations, we observed the formation of nanodroplets on graphene for a drop-cast sample and microcrystallites localized at grain boundaries and defects after thermal sublimation.

Herein, we report on investigations of magnetic and spectroscopic properties of three heterobimetallic Fe(II)–Co(II) coordination compounds based on the tetracoordinate {CoP₂X₂} core encapsulated by dppf metalloligand, where X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), dppf = 1,1′-ferrocenediyl -bis(diphenylphosphine). The analysis of static magnetic data has revealed the presence of axial magnetic anisotropy in compounds (1) and (2) and this was further confirmed by high-frequency electron spin resonance (HF-ESR) spectroscopy. Dynamic magnetic data confirmed that (1) and (2) behave as field-induced Single-Ion Magnets (SIMs). Together with bulk studies, we have also tested the possibility of depositing (2) as thick films on Au(111), glass, and polymeric acetate by drop-casting as well as thermal sublimation, a key aspect for the development of future devices embedding these magnetic objects.

The opening of a quantum confinement gap in nanostructured graphene yields extremely sensitive photodetectors, with electrical noise equivalent power lower than 10⁻¹⁵ W Hz^−0.5 at temperatures below 3 K, for detection of radiation in a very broad frequency range, including ultraviolet, visible and terahertz. Here we demonstrate the operation of these detectors in the presence of magnetic field as high as 7 T, paving the way to in situ spectroscopy of molecular nanomagnets.