Synthesis of the first heterometalic star-shaped oxido-bridged MnCu3 complex and its conversion into trinuclear species modulated by pseudohalides (N3-, NCS- and NCO-): Structural analyses and magnetic properties

A tetra-nuclear, star-shaped hetero-metallic copper(II)-manganese(II) complex, [{CuL(H2O)}(2)-(CuL)Mn](ClO4)(2) (1) has been synthesized by reacting the complex as ligand [CuL] with Mn(ClO4)(2) where H2L is the tetradentate di-Schiff base derived from 1,3-propanediamine and 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Upon treatment with the polyatomic anions azide, cyanate, or thiocyanate in methanol medium, complex 1 transforms into the corresponding trinuclear species [(CuL)(2)Mn(N-3)(2)] (2), [(CuL)(2)Mn(NCO)(2)] (3) and [(CuL)(2)Mn(NCS)(2)] (4). All four complexes have been structurally and magnetically characterized. In complex 1 the central Mn(II) ion is encapsulated by three terminal [CuL] units through the formation of double phenoxido bridges between Mn(II) and each Cu(II). In complexes 2-4 one of the CuL units is replaced by a couple of terminal azide, N-bonded cyanate or N-bonded thiocyanate ions respectively and the central Mn(II) ion is connected to two terminal Cu(II) ions through a double asymmetric phenoxido bridge. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements show the presence of moderate ferrimagnetic exchange interactions in all the cases mediated through the double phenoxido bridges with J values (H = -JS(i)S(i + 1)) of -41.2, -39.8 and -12.6 cm(-1) (or -40.5 and -12.7 cm(-1) if we use a model with two different exchange coupling constants) for the tetranuclear MnCu3 cluster in compound 1 and -20.0, -17.3 and -32.5 cm(-1) for the symmetric trinuclear MnCu2 compounds 2-4. These ferrimagnetic interactions lead to spin ground states of 1 (5/2 - 3*1/2) for compound 1 and 3/2 (5/2 - 2*1/2) for compounds 2-4.