Magnetic properties and structure of a CuIIDyIII heterodinuclear Schiff base complex

The crystal structure of a new heterodinuclear lanthanide complex, (LCu)-Cu-2(Me2CO)Dy(NO3)3 (L-2 = N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylidene)-ethylenediamine) has determined and the magnetic properties of the complex investigated. (C18H18N2O4)Cu(C3H6O) Dy(NO3)(3), monoclinic, space group P2(1/c), with a = 9.875(2), b = 18.870(7), c = 15.675(8) Angstrom, beta = 95.45(3)degrees, V = 2908(2) Angstrom(3), Z = 4. The structure consists of ordered dinuclear units with Cu-II and Dy-III ions bridged by two phenolato oxygen atoms of the Schiff base ligand. The Cu-II ion has a square-pyramidal geometry involving the basal N2O2 donor atoms of the Schiff base ligands and one oxygen atom of the acetone molecule at the apex position. The Dy-III ion is decacoordinated by the four oxygen atoms of L-2 and six oxygen atoms from the three bidentate nitrate ions. The Cu...Dy separation is 3.461(2) Angstrom. The chiT versus T plots, chi being the molar magnetic susceptibility per (CuDyIII)-Dy-II unit and T the temperature, has been measured in the 4.5-300 K temperature range. The magnetic properties of the compound are dominated by the crystal field effect on the Dy-III site, masking the magnetic interaction between the paramagnetic centers. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.