The syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic characterizations of three new hexanuclear iron(III) compounds are reported. Known [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(2)(O(2)CBu(t))(10)(hep)(2)] (1) is converted to new [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(O(2)CBu(t))(9)(hep)(4)] (3) when treated with an excess of 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-pyridine (hepH). Similarly, the new compound [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(2)(O(2)CPh)(10)(hep)(2)] (2), obtained from the reaction of [Fe(3)O(O(2)CPh)(6)(H(2)O)(3)] with hepH, is converted to [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(O(2)CPh)(9)(hep)(4)] (4) when treated with an excess of hepH. This can be reversed by recrystallization from MeCN. The cores of the four Fe(6) complexes all comprise two triangular [Fe(3)(mu(3)-O)(O(2)CR)(3)(hep)](+3) units connected at two of their apices by two sets of bridging ligands. However, 1 and 2 differ slightly from 3 and 4 in the precise way the two Fe(3) units are linked together. In 1 and 2, the two sets of bridging ligands are identical, consisting of one mu-hydroxo and two mu-carboxylate groups bridging each Fe(2) pair, i.e., a (mu-OH(-))(mu-O(2)CR(-))(2) set. In contrast, 3 and 4 have two different sets of bridging ligands, a (mu-OH(-))(mu-O(2)CR(-))(2) set as in 1 and 2, and a (mu-OR(-))(2)(mu-O(2)CR(-)) set, where RO(-) refers to the alkoxide arm of the hep(-) chelate. Variable-field and -temperature dc magnetization measurements establish that 1 and 2 have S = 5 ground states and significant and positive zero-field splitting parameters (D), whereas 3 and 4 have S = 0 ground states. This dramatic difference of 10 unpaired electrons in the ground state S values for near-isomeric compounds demonstrates an acute sensitivity of the magnetic properties to small structural changes. The factors leading to this have been quantitatively analyzed. The semiempirical method ZILSH, based on unrestricted molecular orbital calculations, was used to obtain initial estimates of the Fe(2) pairwise exchange interaction constants (J). These calculated values were then improved by fitting the experimental susceptibility versus T data, using a genetic algorithm approach. The final J values were then employed to rationalize the observed magnetic properties as a function of the core topologies and the presence of spin frustration effects. The large difference in ground state spin value was identified as resulting from a single structural difference between the two types of complexes, the different relative dispositions (cis vs trans) of two frustrated exchange pathways. In addition, use of the structural information and corresponding J values allowed a magnetostructural correlation to be established between the J values and both the Fe-O bond distances and the Fe-O-Fe angles at the bridging ligands.

ABSTRACT:The local spin formalism (Clark, A. E.; Davidson, E. R. J Chem Phys 2001, 115, 7382-7392) for computing expectation values ͗S A ⅐ S B ͘ that appear in the Heisenberg spin model has been extended to semiempirical single determinant wave functions. An alternative derivation of expectation values in restricted and unrestricted cases is given that takes advantage of the zero differential overlap (ZDO) approximation. A formal connection between single determinant wave functions (which are not in general spin eigenfunctions) and the Heisenberg spin model was established by demonstrating that energies of single determinants that are eigenfunctions of the local spin operators with eigenvalues corresponding to high-spin radical centers are given by the same Heisenberg coupling constants { J AB } that describe the true spin states of the system. Unrestricted single determinant wave functions for transition metal complexes are good approximations of local spin eigenfunctions when the metal d orbitals are local in character and all unpaired electrons on each metal have the same spin (although spins on different metals might be reversed). Good approximations of the coupling constants can then be extracted from local spin expectation values ͗S A ⅐ S B ͘ energies of the single determinant wave functions. Once the coupling constants are obtained, diagonalization of the Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian provides predictions of the energies and compositions of the spin states. A computational method is presented for obtaining coupling constants and spin-state energies in this way for polynuclear ϩ , a priori predictions of the coupling constants yield a ground-state spin of zero, in agreement with variable-temperature magnetization data, and corroborate spin alignments proposed earlier on the basis of structural considerations. This demonstrates the potential of the ZILSH method to aid in understanding magnetic interactions in polynuclear transition metal complexes.

No abstract

Ground state spin–orbit effects in the molecules V2, VNb, and Nb2 have been investigated using self-consistent field configuration interaction (SCF/CI) calculations based on the intermediate neglect of differential overlap Hamiltonian parameterized for optical spectroscopy (INDO/S). Accurate results for the spin–orbit splittings of the X 3Σ− ground state of each molecule were obtained using a CI treatment designed to isolate essential correlation of the ground state and the isoconfigurational Σ+1 state causing the splittings. Energies computed for the Σ+1 states are compared to energies obtained from simple two-state perturbative models. It is observed that the consideration of only two states is a large source of error. Previous assignment of a low-lying excited state observed for V2 as the Σg+1 state is not supported. Additional results on excited states of VNb have also been obtained. A Σ-3←X Σ-3 transition observed experimentally for VNb is assigned as a σ*←σ promotion, and the presence of a second excited Σ-3 state of VNb that has not been observed is suggested. An analysis of correlation effects in the INDO/S model is given based on a comparison of results obtained with the approximate essential correlation CI calculations and with larger restricted active space full CI calculations.