An intermetallic molecular nanomagnet with the lanthanide coordinated only by transition metals

Magnetic molecules known as molecular nanomagnets (MNMs) may be the key to ultra-high density data storage. Thus, novel strategies on how to design MNMs are desirable. Here, inspired by the hexagonal structure of the hardest intermetallic magnet SmCo(5), we have synthesized a nanomagnetic molecule where the central lanthanide (Ln) Er(III) is coordinated solely by three transition metal ions (TM) in a perfectly trigonal planar fashion. This intermetallic molecule [Er(III)(Re(I)Cp(2))(3)] (ErRe(3)) starts a family of molecular nanomagnets (MNM) with unsupported Ln-TM bonds and paves the way towards molecular intermetallics with strong direct magnetic exchange interactions—a promising route towards high-performance single-molecule magnets.