Lanthanide compounds with Anderson POM ligands: a route to multifunctional wide bandgap single molecule magnets.

We report a series of lanthanide complexes with Anderson polyoxometalate (POMs) as ligands, which crystallize into distinct structural families depending on the lanthanide ion radius: (i) one-dimensional ribbon-like polymers: 1Ln: La, Ce, Sm, Gd, 1'Gd; 3Ln: Tb, Dy, Ho and (ii) discrete molecular species (2Ln: Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Y; 4Ln: Er, Yb). The combination of electronic and magnetic features of the Ln(III) ions with the POM ligand yields interesting materials that simultaneously exhibit single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior and wide-bandgap. This coexistence of properties highlights the potential of Ln-POM assemblies in molecular spintronics, where robust magnetic bistability and efficient charge transport are essential. In particular, 2Dy and 2Er SMMs stand out as a first step towards promising candidates for next-generation spintronic devices.