High spin and anisotropic molecules based on polycyanometalate chemistry

This paper points out some recent achievements in the chemistry and physics of high spin and anisotropic molecules based on polycyanometalate complexes. Following a step by step synthetic strategy and using a localized electron orbital model, isotropic high spin molecules were obtained with ground spin states ranging from S = 9/2 to 27/2. In the same way, anisotropic molecules with various nuclearities (bi, tri, tetra, hexa, and hepta-nuclear complexes) have been synthesized. Mixing these two approaches, it has been possible to obtained anisotropic high spin molecules that behave as single molecule magnets. The paper reviews some of the steps that lead to these findings and some of the prospects opened in the field of single molecule magnets. Refs. 50 (author)