Can. J. Chem. 63, 1055 (1985. The dimethylphosphinate of manganese(ll), Mn[(CH3)zP02]2, and its dihydrate have been prepared and studied using magnetic susceptibility, differential scanning calorimetry, and electronic and vibrational spectroscopic methods. The dihydrate was obtained in crystalline form and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study revealed a polymeric structure.Crystals of~poly-bis(p-dimethylphosphinato)diaquomanganese(l1) are monoclinic, o = 20.722(3), b = 4.8652(2), c = 11.0689(14) A, P = 102.209(7)", Z = 4, space group C2/c. The structure was solved by conventional heavy-atom methods and was refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to R = 0.030 and R,,. = 0.033 for 983 reflections with I 2 3u(I). The structure consists of infinite centrosymmetric chains of Mn(ll) atoms linked by double phosphinate bridges and extending along the crystallographic b axis. The water molecu!es are involved in both interchain and bifurcated intrachain hydrogen bonding (0.--0 = 2.734(2), 2.899(3) and 3.120(3) A). The coordination about Mn is slightly distorteG octahedral with librationcorrected bond lengths Mn-O(phosphinato) = 2.156(2) and 2.212(2), Mn-OH2 = 2.247(2) A. Magnetic susceptibility studies on the dihydrate from 300 to 4.2 K reveal a magnetic moment of -5.9 BM over most of the range and give no evidence for significant magnetic exchange. The anhydrous compound, which is considered on the basis of indirect evidence to retain the double phosphinate bridged structure exhibited by the dihydrate, shows relatively strong antiferromagnetic behaviour. The data have been analyzed according to two theoretical models both of which employ the isotropic Heinsenberg Hamiltonian. The scaling model of Wagner and Friedberg gives J = -2.94 cm-' and g = 2.02 and the interpolation scheme of Weng gives J = -2.69 cm-' and g = 2.01. The magnitude of the exchange coupling is considered in relation to that observed in related manganese compounds and possible reasons for the observed damping of the exchange on hydration are discussed. Les etudes de susceptibiliti magnttique, rCalisCes avec I'hydrate double ii des temperatures allant de 300 a 4,2 K, rtvklent la presence d'un moment magnttique de 5.9 BM environ sur presque tout I'intervalle considtrk. Le compose anhydre, qui, d'aprts des preuves indirectes, conserverait la structure pontCe double phosphinate qui existe dans le dihydrate, exhibe un comportement antiferromagnktique relativement fort. On a analysC les donntes selon deux modtles thkoriques qui utilisent I'Hamiltonien isotrope de Heinsenberg. Le modble proportionnt de Wagner et Friedberg permet de prtdire des valeurs de J = -2,94 cm-' et g = 2,02 alors que le schema d'interpolation de Weng conduit a des valeurs de J = -2,69 cm-' et g = 2,01. On considkre I'amplitude du couplage d'echange en rapport avec celui observe avec des composes apparentes du mangankse et on discute des raisons qui pourraient expliquer le fait que I'tchange accompagnant I'hydratation est amoindri.[Traduit par le journal] Introduction The po...