Improved slow magnetic relaxation in optically pure helicene-based Dy III single molecule magnets.

Racemic and optically pure [Dy(hfac)3 (L)] complexes with L = 3-(2-pyridyl)-4-aza[6]-helicene have been synthesized and characterized. Both the racemic and enantiopure forms behave as single molecule magnets in their crystalline phase, while electronic circular dichroism activity is evidenced. Ab initio calculations on isolated complexes followed by the determination of intermolecular dipolar couplings allowed the rationalization of the different low-temperature magnetic behaviours. The enantiopure SMM differs from the racemic one by the presence of a hysteresis loop in the former system.