A matched set of dinuclear cobalt complexes with II-II, II-III, and III-III oxidation states have been prepared and structurally characterized. In [(bpbp)Co2(O2P(OPh)2)2]n+ ( n = 1, 2, or 3; bpbp(-) = 2,6-bis(( N,N'-bis-(2-picolyl)amino)-methyl)-4-tertbutylphenolato), the nonbonded Co...Co separations are within the range 3.5906(17) to 3.7081(11) angstroms, and the metal ions are triply bridged by the phenolate oxygen atom of the heptadentate dinucleating ligand and by two diphenylphosphate groups. The overall structures and geometries of the complexes are very similar, with minor variations in metal-ligand bond distances consistent with oxidation state assignments. The CoIICoIII compound is a valence-trapped Robin-Day class II complex. Solid state 31P NMR spectra of the diamagnetic CoIIICoIII (3) and paramagnetic CoIICoIII (2) and CoIICoII (1) complexes show that 31P isotropic shifts broaden and move downfield by about 3000 ppm for each increment in oxidation state. Cyclic voltammetry corroborates the existence of the CoIICoII, CoIICoIII, and CoIIICoIII species in solution. The redox changes are not reversible in the applied scanning timescales, indicating that chemical changes are associated with oxidation and reduction of the cobalt centers. An investigation of the spectroscopic properties of this series has been carried out for its potential usefulness in analyses of the related spectroscopic properties of the dicobalt metallohydrolases. Principally, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) has been used to determine the strength of the magnetic exchange coupling in the CoIICoII complex by analysis of the variable-temperature variable-field (VTVH) intensity behavior of the MCD signal. The series is ideal for the spectroscopic determination of magnetic coupling since it can occur only in the CoIICoII complex. The CoIICoIII complex contains a nearly isostructural CoII ion, but since CoIII is diamagnetic, the magnetic coupling is switched off, while the spectral features of the CoII ion remain. Analysis of the MCD data from the CoIICoIII complex has been undertaken in the theoretical context of a 4T1g ground-state of the CoII ion, initially in an octahedral ligand field that is split by both geometric distortion and zero-field splitting to form an isolated doublet ground state. The MCD data for the CoIICoII pair in the [(bpbp)Co2(O2P(OPh)2)2]+ complex were fitted to a model based on weak antiferromagnetic coupling with J = -1.6 cm (-1). The interpretation is confirmed by solid state magnetic susceptibility measurements.

The synthesis and structural and magnetic properties of the pentanuclear complex [(Ni(bpm) 2 ) 3 (Fe(CN) 6 ) 2 ]‚7H 2 O (1) are reported. Complex 1 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4 3 2 1 2 (No. 96) with the following cell parameters at 23(1) °C: a ) b ) 12.888(2) Å, c ) 42.927(2) Å, V ) 7130(3) Å 3 , and Z ) 4. The structure was refined using 3197 unique reflections with I > 3σ(I) to give R ) 0.047 and R w ) 0.038. The neutral [(Ni-(bpm) 2 ) 3 (Fe(CN) 6 ) 2 ] clusters contain two unconnected Fe III (CN) 6 3groups each bridged, via three facial CN groups, to three cis-Ni(bpm) 2 moieties, thus making the cis-(CN) 2 Ni II (bpm) 2 centers six-coordinate. Metal‚‚‚metal distances within the cluster are Fe‚‚‚Ni ) 5.042(3) and 5.058(2) Å, Fe‚‚‚Fe ) 6.438(4) Å, and Ni‚‚‚Ni ) 6.654(3) and 7.028(5) Å. The seven water molecules form an intriguing hydrogen-bonded "cluster" which connects, via hydrogen-bonding, to the other facial CN ligands on each Fe. A wide array of magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements has been used to show that the Ni 3 Fe 2 clusters display intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling. Most importantly, the crystalline samples of 1 and most, but not all, of rapidly precipitated powder samples display long-range magnetic ordering with T c ) 23 K. The powder samples which do not display magnetic order yield X-ray diffraction patterns, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric behavior identical to those of samples that display magnetic order. Experimental attempts to identify the nature of the magnetic phase transition in the ordered samples of 1 lead to ferromagnetic ordering being favored over spin-glass formation. The 7H 2 O hydrogenbonded moiety plays a key role in intercluster exchange interactions. Dehydrated samples of 1 are not ordered. Intracluster exchange interactions are deduced for the dehydrated form.

The synthesis and magnetic properties of the high-spin tetranuclear cluster [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(O(2)CC(CH(3))(3))(2)(teaH(2))(2)(teaH)(2)](O(2)CC(CH(3))(3))(2) (1) (where teaH(3) = triethanolamine) is described. Complex 1 is the pivalate analogue of our previously reported family of tetranuclear mixed-valence carboxylate clusters. The teaH(2)(-) and teaH(2-) anions in complex 1 act as oxygen donors in the {Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)O(2)} "butterfly" core. Detailed dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements and magnetisation isotherms have been made and show that intra-cluster ferromagnetic coupling is occurring between the S = 2 Mn(III) and S = 5/2 Mn(II) ions to yield a S = 9 ground state and the g, J(bb) and J(wb) parameters have been deduced (b = body, w = wingtip). Incorporation of the acetylacetonate (acac(-)) ligand has led to three new clusters: [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(O(2)CPh)(4)(teaH)(2)(acac)(2)].MeCN (2), [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(teaH)(2)(acac)(4)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3) and [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(bheapH)(2)(acac)(4)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (4) (where bheapH(3) = 1-[N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-propanol). Unlike any previously reported tetranuclear clusters containing the Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2) core, 2, 3, and 4 exhibit a reversal in their Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2) oxidation state distribution. In these clusters, the "wing-tip" Mn atoms exhibit Mn(III) (S = 2) oxidation states while the Mn(II) ions occupy the central "body" positions. Furthermore, the cores in 2, 3, and 4 contain at least one mu(2)-oxygen based bridging ion as opposed to the standard two mu(3)-oxygen bridges previously reported. More precisely, cluster 2 exhibits one mu(3)-O bridge and two mu(2)-bridges in a {Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)O(3)} core while clusters 3 and 4 exhibit two mu(2)-O linkers within the {Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)O(2)} core. All display trigonal prismatic coordination around the Mn(II) centres. These structural and oxidation state differences lead to very different magnetic coupling interactions between the four Mn(II/III) centres compared to 1. Direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements and magnetisation isotherms show that clusters 3 and 4 have ground states of S = 1. The g, J(bb) and J(wb) parameters have been deduced.

Aqueous reaction mixtures containing citric acid, guanidinium carbonate, and a range of metal cations (Mg2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+) at room temperature give crystalline products of composition [C(NH2)3]8[(M(II))4(cit)4].8H2O (cit = citrate). In all cases, the crystals are suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, which reveal that the compounds are isostructural (space group P4(2)/n; a approximately 16.2 A, and c approximately 11.5 A). As was intended, cubane-like [M4(cit)4]8- complex anions are present. The individual citrate units are chiral, but each cubane unit contains two of one hand and two of the other, related around an S4 axis. The cubane units are involved in no less than 40 H-bonding interactions with guanidinium cations and lattice water molecules. Detailed susceptibility and magnetization studies show that the intracluster magnetic coupling within the Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) cubanes is very weak in all cases with J values of -0.82, -0.43, and -0.09 cm(-1) for the Mn, Fe, and Co species, respectively. A two-J model gave the best agreement with the susceptibility and high-field magnetization data for the Ni(II) case, over the whole temperature range studied, and the sign of the parameters, J12 = -0.3 cm(-1) and J13 = +2.97 cm(-1), correlated with the two Ni-(mu3-O)-Ni angles observed in the cluster structure. All members of the 3d-block [M4(cit)4]8- family have spin ground states, ST, of zero, with the higher ST levels just a few reciprocal centimeters away in energy.