Recent progress in the realm of homonuclear Ln₆ single molecule magnets: Structural overview and synthetic approaches

The synthetic approaches to design hexanuclear Lanthanide-based single molecule magnets are demonstrated in detail. Extensive analysis of the reported hexanuclear systems provides vital insight for controlling the relaxation dynamics of Ln(III)-based SMMS. The assembly of hexanuclear lanthanide-based SMMs employing several ligands is summarized. Favorable structural units could be exploited as motifs in the formation of novel Ln(III)-based SMMs, slow magnetic relaxation feature being the principal focus for them. This review will span a number of hexanuclear homometallic 4fcomplexes, which have been critical in the understanding of the manner in which the lanthanide centers in a complex interact magnetically. Heterometallic 3d-4f complexes which also present hexanuclearity are purposefully evaded to merely streamline and simplify the discussion in a much focused manner. Hexanuclear lanthanide model has particularly been the recent focus of attention to study and comprehend the magnetic coupling in 4f systems. This is to draw imperative conclusions concerning the most effective super-exchange pathways permitting the most efficient intracomplex interactions by demonstrating the research developed in the last few years on the fascinating field of Ln₆-based SMMs with precise emphasis on how recent studies tend to address the issue of relaxation dynamics in these systems from synthetic point of view.