The self-assembly of [Nb(IV)(CN)(8)](4-) with different 3d metal centers in an aqueous solution and an excess of pyrazole resulted in the formation of four 3D isostructural compounds {[M(II)(pyrazole)(4)](2)[Nb(IV)(CN)(8)].4H(2)O}(n), where M(II) = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni for 1-4, respectively. All four assemblies crystallize in the same I4(1)/a space group and show identical cyanido-bridged structures decorated with pyrazole molecules coordinated to M(II) centers. All four compounds show also long-range magnetic ordering below 24, 8, 6, and 13 K, respectively. A thorough analysis of the structural and magnetic data utilizing the molecular field model has allowed for an estimation of the values of coupling constants J(M-Nb) attributed to the one type of M(II)-NC-Nb(IV) linkage existing in 1-4. The J(M-Nb) values increase monotonically from -6.8 for 1 through -3.1 for 2 and +3.5 for 3, to +8.1 cm(-1) for 4 and are strongly correlated with the number of unpaired electrons on the M(II) metal center. Average orbital contributions to the total exchange coupling constants J(M-Nb) have also been identified and calculated: antiferromagnetic J(AF) = -21.6 cm(-1) originating from the d(xy), d(xz), and d(yz) orbitals of M(II) and ferromagnetic J(F) = +15.4 cm(-1) originating from d(z(2)) and d(x(2)-y(2)) orbitals of M(II). Antiferromagnetic interaction is successively weakened in the 1-4 row with each additional electron on the t(2g) level, which results in a change of the sign of J(M-Nb) and the nature of long-range magnetic ordering from ferrimagnetic in 1 and 2 to ferromagnetic in 3 and 4.

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A bimetallic pentadecanuclear cyanido-bridged {Fe9[W(CN)8]6 (MeOH)24}·xMeOH cluster of an Fe(II/III)-W(IV/V) mixed valence nature, reveals a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation, concomitant with metal-to-metal charge transfer between Fe and W ions. The dominance of (HS)Fe(II)-NC-W(V) units at a high temperature, and (HS)Fe(III)-NC-W(IV) units at a low temperature, leads to an unprecedented reversed thermal hysteresis loop in magnetic measurements.

The design and construction of switchable materials attracts tremendous interest owing to the potential in information storing and processing or molecular sensing. [1][2][3][4] The archetypal examples involve a diversity of Fe II -, [5,6] Fe III - [7] or Co IIbased [8][9][10] spin-crossover (SCO) compounds, Co III/II -catecholate/semiquinone systems, [1,11] as well as d-d bimetallic and sd-d trimetallic cyanide-bridged systems revealing chargetransfer-induced spin transitions (CTIST). [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Some of these compounds, for example Prussian blue analogues, are particularly promising from the point of view of photoswitching between nonmagnetic and magnetized (that is, T B , T C ) states, owing to magnetic coupling through molecular bridges in discrete species [14,15] and extended networks. [17,18] Such bistability also emerged in the magnetochemistry of octacyanidometalates, exploiting metal-to-metal electron transfer in HS Co II L[W V (CN) 8 ] 3À (L = pyrimidine, 4-methylpyridine) [19,20] or canonical SCO in Fe II L[Nb IV (CN) 8 ] 4À extended networks [21] (L = 4-pyridinealdoxime). A magnetic hysteresis loop with a coercivity of 1-3 T were observed in an optically excited low-temperature metastable phase.

Unique two dimensional enantiopure cyanido-bridged {[Mn(II)(R-mpm)2]2[Nb(IV)(CN)8]}·4H2O and {[Mn(II)(S-mpm)2]2[Nb(IV)(CN)8]}·4H2O (-S) (mpm = α-methyl-2-pyridine-methanol) ferrimagnets with TC = 23.5 K were synthesized and characterized. They reveal natural optical activity (NOA) due to the chiral crystal structure, and magnetic optical activity (MOA) in the presence of an external magnetic field, with the strong enhancement in the magnetically ordered phase below TC.