Dipartimento di Chimica

Ilaria Fratoddi ha il piacere di invitarvi al seminario: 

High-Performance Lanthanide Single-Molecule Magnets

di Theocharis C. Stamatatos, University of Patras, Greece

Il seminario si terrà giovedì 20 marzo alle 14.00 in Aula C dell'edificio CU0035.

Abstract

The search for new molecules exhibiting slow relaxation of magnetization under a plausible blocking temperature is currently one of the most appealing research topics in the interdisciplinary fields of inorganic and coordination chemistry, materials science, physics, and theoretical chemistry. Lanthanide(III) ions (LnIII) play a pivotal role in the quest for efficient single-molecule magnets with potential applications in memory storage, molecular spintronics, and quantum computation. This is mainly due to the large magnetic anisotropy that most 4f-metal ions possess, which arises from the strong spin-orbit coupling and the crystal-field effects from the coordinated ligands.[1]

Seeking for new synthetic strategies towards the preparation of air-stable, single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with large energy barriers for the thermally-assisted relaxation of magnetization, the focus of our research is placed around mononuclear DyIII (or HoIII) complexes with designed ligands suitable to yield the targeted D5h or D6h coordination geometry and subsequently reducing the efficiency of the through-barrier relaxation pathways.[2]

In this seminar, we will discuss our results associated with the synthesis, structural and magnetic characterization of various new families of mononuclear, air-stable lanthanide(III) SMMs. These were derived by the employment of the macrocyclic effect, which has yielded N5, N6, N3O3, and N4O2 equatorial ligation around a single LnIII ion resulting from rare (in pentagonal or hexagonal equatorial ligation) [1+1] metal-assisted condensation reactions (Figure 1). As a result, we have been able to chemically engineer new coordination compounds with D5h or D6h geometries, bearing strongly bound axial ligands and exhibiting SMM behaviors with large Ueff values, among the highest yet reported in the field of SMMs.

References:

[1] Rinehart, J. D.; Long, J. R. Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 2078.

[2] Zhu, Z.; Tang, J. Natl. Sci. Rev. 2022, 9, nwac194.

 

 

 

 

Prof. Theocharis C. Stamatatos

Dr. Theocharis C. Stamatatos is a Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Chemistry Department of the University of Patras. He was born in 1980 in Patras, and received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2003 and his Ph.D. in 2006 from the Chemistry Department of the University of Patras. From 2006 to 2008, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Chemistry Department of the University of Florida (Gainesville, USA), and from 2009 to 2012, he served as a Temporary Lecturer at the Chemistry and Materials Science Departments of the University of Patras. From 2012 to 2018, he worked as a faculty member (Assistant and Associate Professor) of Molecular Inorganic Chemistry at the Chemistry Department of Brock University (Ontario, Canada). In addition to his postdoctoral and academic career in the USA and Canada, his research abroad includes research stays at: (i) 8 months at the Chemistry Department of the University of Cyprus (2004–2005), (ii) 3 months at the Chemistry Department of the University of Manchester, UK (2005), (iii) 6 months at the Chemistry Department of the University of Florida, USA (2005–2006), and (iv) 12 months at the Chemistry Department of the University of Mainz, Germany (2016 & 2018). He currently holds the following positions: (a) Associate Faculty Member at the Hellenic Open University, and (b) Collaborative Faculty Member at the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras.

His research activity as an independent researcher in Greece and Canada has been funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, NSERC Research Tools and Instruments, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Operational Program “Human Resource Development, Education, and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020”, as well as by private organizations. Throughout his career, he has received the following awards and distinctions:

• “Young Investigator Award”, American Chemical Society 2007, Boston, USA.

• “A DocMolMag Award” – A European Award for the best PhD thesis in Molecular Magnetism and related fields, Florence, Italy, 2008.

• “Emerging Investigators”, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2010 & 2024.

• “Chancellor’s Chair for Research Excellence”, Brock University, Canada, 2016-2018.

• “Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers”, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 2015-2018.

Under his supervision, 6 PhD and 20 postgraduate research theses have been completed, and he has supervised the research activities of 5 postdoctoral researchers. He is a member of the editorial boards for 6 scientific journals and has served as a guest editor for special issues of recognized peer-reviewed journals. He also reviews for more than 80 journals and over 10 national and international funding organizations (i.e., USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Netherlands, New Zealand, Chile, Kazakhstan, Poland, Cyprus). He has participated in various organizational committees for national and international conferences and was a founding member of the "Panhellenic Conference in Inorganic Chemistry," held every two years at universities across Greece. He has participated in 193 conferences (international and national) through poster presentations and oral talks and has given over 40 invited lectures at recognized research institutions in Greece and abroad.

Research Metrics – Quantitative Data

Total number of publications in peer-reviewed journals: 179

 

h-index: 48 and total number of heterocitations: ~5500