In situ ligand transformation in the synthesis of manganese complexes: mono-, tri- and a barrel-shaped tetradeca-nuclear Mn(II)14 aggregate.

Three one-pot syntheses leading to four examples of in situ ligand transformations are presented. These in situ reactions involve various transformations of 2-(N'-dicyanomethylene-hydrazino)-benzoic acid (DHB). The resulting ligands enabled the preparation of three new coordination compounds, which were fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex, [Mn(III)(Lig-I)(CH(3)OH)Cl] (1), was prepared in a one-pot synthesis in which the aryl hydrazone ligand, (Lig-I)(2-), was formed by the amination of DHB resulting from the nucleophilic attack of an amino group of ethylenediamine. The linear, mixed-valence trinuclear complex, (Et(3)NH)(4)[Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(mu-OH)(2)(Lig-II)(2)(HLig-II)(2)] (2), was synthesized using a preparation involving the in situ reaction of azide and a nitrile of DHB. Larger species can also be prepared using this technique. In a reaction involving two different in situ ligand formations, the cyclocondensation of two DHB molecules and the partial hydrolysis of a nitrile of DHB, the first example of a tetradecanuclear Mn(II) aggregate, (H(3)O)(4)[Mn(II)(14)(mu(6)-CO(3))(mu(3)-OH)(6)(HLig-III)(6)(HLig-IV)(3)(OH(2))(3)] x 92 MeCN (3), was isolated and characterized. Magnetic measurements on 2 indicate the presence of intramolecular and intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions (J(1)/k(B) = -9.5(1) K, g = 1.95(2), and zJ'/k(B) = -0.37(5) K) while those on 3 suggest the presence of dominating antiferromagnetic interactions.

Two edge-sharing MnII4MnIII6 supertetrahedra give an anisotropic S = 28 +/- 1 MnII6MnIII11 complex.

A complex with a [Mn(II)(6)Mn(III)(11)] core results via formal fusion of two isotropic Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)(6) supertetrahedra along a common edge leading to a high spin ground state anisotropic system showing Mvs. H hysteresis loops below 1 K.

Directed assembly of metal-cyanide cluster magnets.

The simple, well-understood coordination chemistry of the cyanide ligand is of significant utility in the design of new single-molecule magnets. Its preference for bridging two transition metals in a linear M'-CN-M geometry permits the use of multidentate blocking ligands in directing the assembly of specific molecular architectures. This approach has been employed in the synthesis of numerous high-nuclearity constructs, including simple cubic M4M'4(CN)12 and face-centered cubic M8M'6(CN)24 coordination clusters, as well as some unexpected cluster geometries featuring as many as 27 metal centers. The ability to substitute a range of different transition metal ions into these structures enables adjustment of their magnetic properties, facilitating creation of high-spin ground states with axial magnetic anisotropy. To date, at least four different cyano-bridged single-molecule magnets have been characterized, exhibiting spin-reversal barriers as high as 25 cm(-1). Ultimately, it is envisioned that this strategy might lead to molecules possessing much larger barriers with the potential for storing information at more practical temperatures.

Ternary nanoclusters of CuHgS, CuHgSe, and CuInS.

Two copper-mercury-chalcogenide clusters [Hg(15)Cu(20)E(25)(PPr(3))(18)] (1, E = S; 2, E = Se) are synthesized in good yield from the reaction of (Pr(3)P)(3)Cu-ESiMe(3) and (Pr(3)P)(2).Hg(OAc)(2) at low temperatures. Single-crystal X-ray analyses illustrate that the two ternary clusters are isomorphous and consist of a phosphine-stabilized core of mixed Hg, Cu, and E centers. Thermolysis of 1 leads to the formation of mercury metal and various forms of copper-sulfide. The copper-indium-sulfide cluster [Cu(6)In(8)S(13)Cl(4)(PEt(3))(12)] (3) is similarly prepared in 50% yield from (Et(3)P)(3)Cu-SSiMe(3), InCl(3), and S(SiMe(3))(2).