Small Cyano Anions: A Gateway to New Materials

This proposal will produce new families of small cyano anions (SCAs) which are readily and inexpensively synthesised and readily tuned for coordination and structural applications. These anions will act as building blocks for a range of new advanced materials, including magnetically ordered materials and porous materials capable of adsorbing gases. Cluster-based single molecule magnets will also be made. The heterotopic nature of the ligands will facilitate formation of f/d heterometallic species, which are of magnetic interest. Anionic SCA-metallate exmples will be incorporated in new classes of ionic liquids with useful properties such as paramagnetism, luminescence or neutron capture capability.