Six
arsenic(III)-capped 12-tungsto-2-arsenates(III) of the type
[M2(AsIIIW6O25)2(AsIIIOH)
x
]
n− (M = CrIII, 1; FeIII, 2; ScIII, 3; InIII, 4; TiIV, 5; MnII, 6) have been
synthesized in aqueous medium by direct reaction of the elements using
a one-pot strategy and structurally characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy,
single-crystal XRD, and elemental analysis. Polyanions 1–6 are comprised of two octahedrally coordinated
guest metal ions M sandwiched between two {AsW6} units,
resulting in a structure with C
2h
point-group symmetry. Polyanions 1–5 contain tri- and tetravalent metal ion guests M (M = CrIII, FeIII, ScIII, InIII,
and TiIV, respectively), and they have one {AsIIIOH} group grafted on each {AsW6} unit, whereas the divalent
MnII-containing derivative 6 has two such
{AsIIIOH} groups grafted on each {AsW6} unit.
Magnetic studies on polyanions 3–5 over the temperature range 1.8–295 K and magnetic fields
of 0–7 T confirmed that they are diamagnetic. On the other
hand, polyanions 1, 2, and 6 are strongly magnetic and follow the Curie–Weiss law above
30 K. The susceptibility plots of 1 and 6 exhibit broad peaks suggesting short-range antiferromagnetic ordering,
while the very weak antiferromagnetic ordering of 2 is
overshadowed by traces of a paramagnetic impurity. The magnetization
data of 1, 2, and 6 at 1.8
K over 0–7 T were analyzed by using the Heisenberg exchange
procedure. Small (negative) values of the obtained J values help in understanding the absence of long-range antiferromagnetic
ordering.