Lecturer

CONTACT DETAILS:

Address: School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010 Australia

Room: 272

Email: c.boskovic@unimelb.edu.au

For further infomation visit the Boskovic research group page

Teaching responsibilities

• 511-124 Chemistry Component: Oral Health Sciences 1
• 610-142R (Summer) Chemistry
• 610-171 Fundamentals of Chemistry
• 610-340 Inorganic Chemistry IIIA
• 610-341 Inorganic Chemistry IIIB
• 610-400 Honours

Field of expertise: Polynuclear Metal Complexes and Molecular Nanomagnets

Molecular nanomagnets are polynuclear complexes of paramagnetic transition metals that display slow relaxation and quantum tunneling of the magnetisation at low temperature. The slow relaxation implies a tremendous potential for applications in data storage, where a single molecule could act as the smallest possible unit of magnetic memory.   In addition, species that display quantum tunneling may ultimately find applications in the field of quantum computing.

We are interested in the synthesis of polynuclear complexes of paramagnetic transition metals that are new molecular nanomagnets or display other interesting magnetic properties. The detailed physical characterisation of these species affords an understanding of the magnetic behaviour and allows correlation with the molecular structure. To this end we perform magnetic measurements on the synthesized materials in collaboration with Prof. Keith Murray (Monash University), in addition to inelastic neutron scattering studies in collaboration with Prof. Hans Güdel (University of Bern, Switzerland).

Our recent research has focussed on the application of polydentate ligands bearing O and N donor atoms in the synthesis of polynuclear complexes of Fe, Mn and Ni [1-5]. To date complexes of nuclearity up to 12 have been achieved (Figure 1). In particular, Mn4 and Fe5 complexes are new molecular nanomagnets. Moreover, a detailed magnetic and inelastic neutron scattering study of a Ni4 complex has provided insight into the molecular origin of the rapid quantum tunneling of the magnetisation that is manifest.
	Fig. 1 Fe12
As part of our programme to develop new synthetic approaches for molecular nanomagnets, we have recently begun to explore reactions performed under autogeneous pressure using solvothermal methods. An initial outcome is a novel and highly symmetric Fe7 complex with a wheel-like structure (Figure 2), which cannot be achieved using standard synthetic methods.
	Fig. 2 Fe7

Selected Publications:

1. R. Bircher, B. F. Abrahams, H. U. Güdel, C. Boskovic, "Synthesis, Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Novel Tb₄ Spin Cluster and Synthesis of a Tb Chain", Polyhedron 2007, 26, 3023-3028.
2. K. G. Alley, R. Bircher, H. U. Güdel, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, B. F. Abrahams, C. Boskovic, "Incorporation of a tripodal ligand with a (N, O, O)-donor set into a new family of nickel and cobalt spin clusters", Polyhedron 2007, 26, 369-377 (Australasian special edition).
3. K. G. Alley, R. Bircher, O. Waldmann, S. T. Ochsenbein, H. U. Güdel, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, F. Fernandez-Alonso, B. F. Abrahams, C. Boskovic, "Mixed-Valent Cobalt Spin Clusters: a Hexanuclear Complex and a One-Dimensional Coordination Polymer Comprised of Alternating Hepta- and Mononuclear Fragments", Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 8950-8957.
4. A. Sieber, C. Boskovic, R. Bircher, O. Waldmann, S. T. Ochsenbein, H. U. Güdel, N. Kirchner, J. van Slageren, W. Wernsdorfer, A. Neels, H. Stoeckli-Evans, S. Janssen, F. Juranyi, H. Mutka, "Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of a New Family of Ni₄ Spin Clusters", Inorg. Chem. 2005, 44, 4315-4325.
5. C. Boskovic, H. U. Güdel, G. Labat, A. Neels, W. Wernsdorfer, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, "High nuclearity ferric complexes from a new family of polynuclear precursors", Inorg. Chem. 2005, 44, 3181-3189.
6. C. Boskovic, R. Bircher, P. L. W. Tregenna-Piggott, H. U. Güdel, C. Paulsen, W. Wernsdorfer, A. L. Barra, E. Khatsko, A. Neels, H. Stoeckli-Evans, "Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic Intermolecular Interactions in a New Family of Mn₄ Complexes with an Energy Barrier to Magnetization Reversal", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 14046-14058.