What did you study?
This research shows how the chemical structure of lanthanide complexes can be used to control their magnetic and optical properties. Lanthanide complexes can act as single-molecule magnets, meaning they can store magnetic information at the molecular level, and some can also emit light. To understand how to design such systems, three different ligand strategies were explored: oxygen-based aryloxide ligands, nitrogen-based radical bridges, and mixed hard and soft donor atom environments.
What were the results of your study?
The dissertation explores three different ways to design ligands for controlling material properties. Bulky oxygen-based aryloxide ligands were used to stabilize a tetranuclear dysprosium complex. In this system, the outer dysprosium ions experience a strongly oriented magnetic environment, which is a key ingredient for single-molecule magnet behavior. Nitrogen-based radical bridges between pairs of lanthanide ions served as a second strategy, where the magnetic coupling strength between the metals could be tuned by modifying the electronic structure of the bridge. A third approach, combining hard and soft donor atoms around the dysprosium ion, produced a compound that simultaneously displays single-molecule magnet behavior and luminescent thermometry. Small changes in ligand design can significantly affect not only magnetic behavior but also optical properties. This enables control over these properties by modifying ligand environments, electronic structure, and molecular geometry.
How can the results be applied? What new insights did the research contribute to the topic?
The results demonstrate how magnetic and optical properties can be controlled and combined within a single molecular system, and provide design principles for developing multifunctional materials with tailored properties. These findings contribute to the development of advanced materials for applications such as high-density data storage, molecular sensors, and quantum technologies.
Rezeda Gayfullina will defend the doctoral dissertation “Structure –Property Relationships in Lanthanide-based Systems: From Single-Molecule Magnets to Dual-Functional Complexes” on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 12:00 at the Ylistönrinne Campus in lecture hall KEM4, University of Jyväskylä. The opponent is Associate Professor Antti Karttunen (Aalto University), and the custos is Assistant Professor Jani O. Moilanen (University of Jyväskylä). The public defense will be held in English.
The dissertation is available online: https://jyx.jyu.fi/jyx/Record/jyx_123456789_109909?sid=273933230
Further information:
- Rezeda Gayfullina, rezeda.r.gayfullina@jyu.fi
