Hetero-metal Mn-Cu and Mn-Ni clusters with tridentate Schiff-base ligands

Novel hetero-metal di-, tetra-, and octanuclear Mn-Cu clusters of [(MnCuII)-Cu-III(5-Br-sap)(2)Cl(EtOH)] (1), [(MnCuII)-Cu-III(5-Cl-sap)(2)Cl-(MeOH)] (2), [(Mn2Cu2II)-Cu-III(5-Br-sap)(4)(H2O)(2)](ClO4)(2) (3(ClO4)(2)), [(MnCu3III)-Cu-III(5-Br-sae)(4)(H2O)(2)] (PF6) center dot 2Et(2)O (4(PF6) center dot 2Et(2)O), [(Mn2Mn2Cu4II)-Mn-III-Cu-II(3-OMe-sap)4(mu(4)-O)(2)Cl-2]Cl-2 center dot 2MeOH(5Cl(2) center dot 2MeOH) as well as tetranuclear Mn-Ni clusters of [(Mn2Ni2II)-Ni-III(sap)(2) (sal)(2) (mu(3)-OMe)(2) (OAc)(2)] (6), [(Mn2Ni2II)-Ni-III(sap)(2)(sal)(2)(mu-OMe)(2)(NO3)(2)(MeOH)(2)] (7) were prepared by simple one-pot reactions of multidentate Schiff base ligands with metal sources. All clusters were selectively obtained by changing reaction conditions, employment of suitable co-ligands, and slightly modified ligands. We report here syntheses, structure and magnetic properties of a series of hetero-metal Mn-Cu and Mn-Ni clusters. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.