Using the 1-(m-tolyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide)
(TlTrzNIT) radical and metal β-diketonate complexes [M(hfac)2(H2O)2], where hfac is hexafluoroacetylacetonato,
three new 2p–3d heterospin complexes were synthesized. Their
structures were solved using single crystal X-ray diffraction data,
and magnetic investigation was performed by DC and AC measurements
and multifrequency EPR spectroscopy. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural complexes with molecular formula [M3(TlTrzNIT)2(hfac)6] (MII =
Mn or Cu) while compound 3 is the mononuclear [Co(TlTrzNIT)(hfac)2] complex. In all complexes, the radical acts as a bidentate
ligand through the oxygen atom of the nitroxide moiety and the nitrogen
atom from the triazole group. Furthermore, in compounds 1 and 2, the TlTrzNIT is bridge-coordinated between two
metal centers, leading to the formation of trinuclear complexes. The
fitting of the static magnetic behavior reveals antiferromagnetic
and ferromagnetic intramolecular interactions for complexes 1 and 2, respectively. The EPR spectra of 1 are well described by an isolated ferrimagnetic S = 13/2 (= 5/2 – 1/2 + 5/2 – 1/2 + 5/2) ground state with
a biaxial zero-field splitting (ZFS) interaction characterized, respectively,
by 2nd order axial and rhombic parameters, D and E, such that E/D is close
to the maximum of 0.33. Meanwhile, EPR spectra for 2 are
explained in terms of a ferromagnetic model with weakly anisotropic
Cu–radical exchange interactions, giving rise to an isolated S = 5/2 (= 5 × 1/2) ground state with both an anisotropic g tensor and a weak ZFS interaction. Complex 2 represents
one of only a few examples of Cu–radical moieties with measurable
exchange anisotropy.