Heptanuclear antiferromagnetic Fe(III)-D-(-)-quinato assemblies with an S = 3/2 ground state-pH-specific synthetic chemistry, spectroscopic, structural, and magnetic susceptibility studies

A triple-triangle cluster derived from a simple tridentate ligand

The heptanuclear ferric cluster, [FeIII7(O)6(HL)5(H2L)(H2O)8](BF4)4 (H2L = 2,6-bis(1,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine), was synthesized by the reaction of the planar tridentate ligand H2L with iron(ii) tetrafluoroborate hexahydrate. The cluster has a corner-shared triple-triangle core structure connected by three μ-O atoms, and it has a spin-frustrated ferrimagnetic spin ground state of S = 19/2.

Crowding out: ligand modifications and their structure directing effects on brucite-like {Mx(μ3-OH)y} (M = Co(ii), Ni(ii)) core growth within polymetallic cages

Previous employment of the ligands 2-methoxy-6-[(methylimino)methyl]phenol (L₁H) and 2-methoxy-6-[(phenylimino)methyl]phenol (L₂H) has resulted in the self-assembly of pseudo metallocalix[6]arene complexes of general formulae: [M₇(μ₃-OH)₆(L_x)₆](NO₃)_y (M = Ni(ii), x = 1, y = 2 (1) and Co(ii/iii), x = 2, y = 3 (2)). Extrapolating upon this work, we report the coordination chemistry of ligands 2-methoxy-6-{[(2-methoxyphenyl)imino]methyl}phenol (L₃H), 2-[(benzylimino)methyl]-6-methoxyphenol (L₄H), 2-[(benzylamino)methyl]-6-methoxyphenol (L₅H) and 2-[(benzylamino)methyl]-4-bromo-6-methoxyphenol (L₆H), whose structures are modifications of ligands L_1-2H. These ligands are employed in the synthesis and characterisation of the dimetallic complex [Ni(ii)₂(L₃)₃(H₂O)](NO₃)·2H₂O·3MeOH (3); the monometallic complexes [Ni(ii)(L₄)₂] (4) and [Co(iii)(L₄)₃]·H₂O·MeOH (5a); and the tetranuclear pseudo metallocalix[4]arene complexes: [(NO₃)⊂Co(ii)₄(μ₃-OH)₂(L₅)₄(H₂O)₂](NO₃)·H₂O (6), [(NO₃)⊂Ni(ii)₄(μ₃-OH)₂(L₅)₄(H₂O)₂](NO₃)·H₂O (7) and [Ni(ii)₄(μ₃-OH)₂(L₆)₄(NO₃)₂]·MeCN (8). The tetrametallic 'butterfly' core topologies in 6-8 are discussed with respect to their structural and topological relationship with their heptanuclear [M₇] (M = Co(ii), Ni(ii)) pseudo metallocalix[6]arene ancestors (1 and 2).

An iron(iii)-centred ferric wheel Fe⊂{Fe6} with a siloxane-based bis-salicylidene Schiff base

A new iron(iii)-centred ferric wheel Fe⊂{Fe₆} of the formula [Fe₇(H₂L)₆(NCS)₆](ClO₄)₃·10H₂O, where H₄L = N,N'-bis(3-carboxylsalicylidene)-1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane, was synthesised and fully characterised. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra indicate the presence of high spin (S = 5/2) Fe³⁺ cations adopting a slightly different coordination environment in agreement with the X-ray diffraction structure. There are competing antiferromagnetic exchange interactions along the rim (J₁ = -1.00 cm^-1) and the radius (J₂ = -1.46 cm^-1) of the wheel.