Heteronuclear cationic complexes, [LCuLn]3+ and [(LCu)2Ln]3+, were employed as nodes in designing high-nuclearity complexes and coordination polymers with a rich variety of network topologies (L is the dianion of the Schiff base resulting from the 2:1 condensation of 3-methoxysalycilaldehyde with 1,3-propanediamine). Two families of linkers have been chosen: the first consists of exo-dentate ligands bearing nitrogen-donor atoms (bipyridine (bipy), dicyanamido (dca)), whereas the second consists of exo-dentate ligands with oxygen-donor atoms (anions derived from the acetylenedicarboxylic (H2acdca), fumaric (H2fum), trimesic (H3trim), and oxalic (H2ox) acids). The ligands belonging to the first family prefer copper(II) ions, whereas the ligands from the second family interact preferentially with oxophilic rare-earth cations. The following complexes have been obtained and crystallographically characterized: [LCu(II)(OH2)Gd(III)(NO3)3] (1), [{LCu(II)Gd(III)(NO3)3}2(mu-4,4'-bipy)] (2), 1infinity[LCu(II)Gd(III)(acdca)(1.5)(H2O)2].13H2O (3), 2infinity[LCu(II)Gd(III)(fum)(1.5)(H2O)2].4H2O.C2H5OH (4), 1infinity[LCu(II)Sm(III)(H2O)(Hfum)(fum)] (5), 1infinity[LCu(II)Er(III)(H2O)2(fum)]NO3.3H2O (6), 2infinity[LCu(II)Sm(III)(fum)(1.5)(H2O)2].4H2O.C2H5OH (7), [{(LCu(II))2Sm(III)}2fum2](OH)2 (8), 1infinity[LCu(II)Gd(III)(trim)(H2O)2].H2O (9), 2infinity[{(LCu(II))2Pr(III)}(C2O4)(0.5)(dca)]dca.2H2O (10), [LCu(II)Gd(III)(ox)(H2O)3][Cr(III)(2,2'-bipy)(ox)2].9H2O (11), and [LCuGd(H2O)4{Cr(CN)6}].3H2O (12). Compound 1 is representative of the whole family of binuclear Cu(II)-Ln(III) complexes which have been used as precursors in constructing heteropolymetallic complexes. The rich variety of the resulting structures is due to several factors: 1) the nature of the donor atoms of the linkers, 2) the preference of the copper(II) ion for nitrogen atoms, 3) the oxophilicity of the lanthanides, 4) the degree of deprotonation of the polycarboxylic acids, 5) the various connectivity modes exhibited by the carboxylato groups, and 6) the stoichiometry of the final products, that is, the Cu(II)/Ln(III)/linker molar ratio. A unique cluster formed by 24 water molecules was found in crystal 11. In compounds 2, 3, 4, 9, and 11 the Cu(II)-Gd(III) exchange interaction was found to be ferromagnetic, with J values in the range of 3.53-8.96 cm(-1). Compound 12 represents a new example of a polynuclear complex containing three different paramagnetic ions. The intranode Cu(II)-Gd(III) ferromagnetic interaction is overwhelmed by the antiferromagnetic interactions occurring between the cyanobridged Gd(III) and Cr(III) ions.

The copper(II)-gadolinium(III) and copper(II)-terbium(III) complexes studied in this report derive from disymmetric trianionic ligands abbreviated H3Li (i = 4-6). These ligands are obtained through reaction of different aldehydes with "half-units" having an amide function, the latter resulting from the monocondensation of different diamines with phenyl 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate. Upon deprotonation, the Li ligands (i = 4-10) possess an inner N2O2 coordination site with one amido, one imine, and two phenoxo functions, an outer O2O2 or O2O coordination site, and an amido oxygen atom positioned out of these two sites. The trianionic character of such ligands yields original anionic complexes in the presence of copper(II) or nickel(II) ions, with a 1/1 L/M stoichiometry. The crystal and molecular structures of four complexes, two 3d (1, 5) and two 3d-4f (12, 13) complexes, have been determined. Complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c: a = 27.528(2) A, b = 7.0944(7) A, c = 22.914(2) A, beta = 92.130(6) degrees , V = 4471.9(7) A(3), Z = 8 for C(21.5)H(27)CuKN(2)O(6.5). Complex 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (No. 14): a = 11.0760(9) A, b = 21.454(2) A, c = 15.336(1) A, beta = 101.474(1) degrees , V = 3571.5(5) A(3), Z = 4. Complex 12 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P (No. 2): a = 8.682(2) A, b = 11.848(2) A, c = 11.928(2) A, alpha = 81.77(3) degrees , beta = 89.17(3) degrees , gamma = 85.49(3) degrees , V = 1210.6(4) A(3), Z = 2 for C20H22CuN5O11Tb. Complex 13 belongs to the monoclinic space group C2/c: a = 25.475(5)A, b = 12.934(3)A, c = 15.023(3) A, beta = 91.06(3) degrees , V = 4949.02A3, Z = 8 for C21H25CuN4O12Tb. The structural determinations confirm that the dinuclear entities involved in 12 and 13 are disposed in a head-to-tail arrangement to give tetranuclear complexes in which the copper and lanthanide ions are positioned at the vertexes of a rectangle. In the [Cu-Gd]2 species, there are two different ferromagnetic Cu-Gd interactions. The stronger one is supported by the double phenoxo bridge (CuO2Gd) while the weaker one corresponds to the single amido bridge (Cu-N-C-O-Gd). Replacement of gadolinium ions with anisotropic terbium ions yields tetranuclear entities showing slow relaxation of magnetization and magnetization hysteresis. Detailed relaxation and hysteresis loop studies establish single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior which is influenced by weak intermolecular interactions.

Reactions of the complex trans-[RuCl(4)(Hind)(2)](-) (Hind = indazole), which is of clinical relevance today, with both the DNA model nucleobase 9-methyladenine (made) and the thioethers R(2)S (R = Me, Et), as models of the methionine residue in biological molecules possibly acting as nitrogen-competing sulfur-donor ligands for ruthenium atom, have been investigated to get insight into details of mechanism leading to antitumor activity. Three novel ruthenium complexes, viz., [Ru(III)Cl(3)(Hind)(2)(made)], 1, [Ru(II)Cl(2)(Hind)(2)(Me(2)S)(2)], 2, and [Ru(II)Cl(2)(Hind)(2)(Et(2)S)(2)], 3, have been isolated as solids. Oxidation of 2 and 3 with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of 12 M HCl in chloroform afforded the monothioether adducts, viz., [Ru(III)Cl(3)(Hind)(2)(Me(2)S)], 4, and [Ru(III)Cl(3)(Hind)(2)(Et(2)S)], 5. By dissolution of 2 or 3 in DMSO, replacement of both R(2)S ligands by DMSO molecules occurred with isolation of trans,trans,trans-[Ru(II)Cl(2)(Hind)(2)(DMSO)(2)], 6. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, electrospray mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography (1.CH(2)Cl(2).CH(3)OH and 1.1.1H(2)O.0.9CH(3)OH, 2, and 5). The first crystallographic evidence for the monofunctional coordination of the 9-methyladenine ligand to ruthenium via N7 and the self-pairing of the complex molecules via H-bonding, using the usual Watson-Crick pairing donor and acceptor sites of two adjacent 9-methyladenine ligands, is reported. The electrochemical behavior of 1-5 has been studied in DMF and DMSO by cyclic voltammetry. The redox potential values have been interpreted on the basis of the Lever's parametrization method. The E(L) parameter was estimated for 9-methyladenine at 0.18 V, showing that this ligand behaves as a weaker net electron donor than imidazole (E(L) = 0.12 V). The kinetics of the reductively induced stepwise replacement of chlorides by DMF in 4 and 5 were studied by digital simulation of the cyclic voltammograms. The rate constant k(1) has been determined as 0.9 +/- 0.1 s(-)(1), which obeys the first-order rate law, while k(2) is concentration dependent (0.2 +/- 0.1 M(1)(-)(n)().s(-)(1) with n > 1 for 4 mM solutions of 4 and 5), indicating higher-order reactions mechanism.