Microwave-assisted synthesis: from a mononuclear {Co} complex to {Co} solvomorphs.

We report a new {CoII9} complex with an unprecedented structure and its solvated analogue, using microwave heating to tune the synthesis and improve the product selectivity.

Slow magnetic relaxation in a {CoCo} complex containing a high magnetic anisotropy trigonal bipyramidal Co centre.

We report a trinuclear mixed-valence {CoIICoIII2} complex, where the CoII centre adopts a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, leading to a large, easy-plane magnetic anisotropy and field-induced slow magnetic relaxation with a Raman-like relaxation process.

Constructing Cr-centered heterometallic complexes: [NiCr] and [CoCr] wheels.

The solvothermal reaction between Cr(acac), MCl·6HO (M = Ni, Co) and 2-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-phenyl-pyridine-3-amidoxime (HL), under basic conditions, led to the synthesis of the heterometallic heptanuclear clusters [MCr(HL)(HL)]·3Cl (M = Ni, 1; Co, 2), with the nickel analogue displaying an S = 9/2 spin ground-state.