7Li NMR
shifts and magnetic properties have been determined
for three so-called ate complexes [LiM{N(SiMe3)2}3] (M2+ = Mn, Fe, Co; e.g., named lithium-tris(bis(trimethylsilylamide))-manganate(II)
in accordance with a formally negative charge assigned to the complex
fragment [M{N(SiMe3)2}3]−, which comprises the transition metal). They are formed by addition
reactions of LiN(SiMe3)2 and [M{N(SiMe3)2}2] and stabilized by Lewis base/Lewis acid
interactions. The results are compared to those of the related “ion-separated”
complexes [Li(15-crown-5)][M{N(SiMe3)2}3]. The ate complexes with the lithium atoms connected to the
3d metal atoms manganese, iron, or cobalt via μ2 nitrogen
bridges reveal strong 7Li NMR paramagnetic shifts of about
−75, 125, and 171 ppm, respectively, whereas the shifts for
the lithium ions coordinated by the 15-crown-5 ether are close to
zero. The observed trends of the 7Li NMR shifts are confirmed
by density-functional theory calculations. The magnetic dc and ac
properties display distinct differences for the six compounds under
investigation. Both manganese compounds, [LiMn{N(SiMe3)2}3] and [Li(15-crown-5)][Mn{N(SiMe3)2}3], display almost pure and ideal spin-only paramagnetic
behavior of a 3d5 high-spin complex. In this respect slightly
unexpected, both complexes show slow relaxation behavior at low temperatures
under applied dc fields, which is especially pronounced for the ate
complex [LiMn{N(SiMe3)2}3]. Dc magnetic
properties of the iron complexes reveal moderate g-factor anisotropies with small values of the axial magnetic anisotropy
parameter D and a larger E (transversal
anisotropy). Both complexes display at low temperatures and, under
external dc fields of up to 5000 Oe, only weak ac signals with no
maxima in the frequency range from 1 to 1500 s–1. In contrast, the two cobalt complexes display strong g-factor anisotropies with large values of D and E. In addition, in both cases, the ac measurements at low
temperatures and applied dc fields reveal two, in terms of their frequency
range, well separated relaxation processes with maxima lying for the
most part outside of the measurement range between 1 and 1500 s–1.