Synthesis and structure of a complex having a quartet ground state with three entirely different spin carriers: nitronyl nitroxide, o-semiquinone, and CuII.

A "spin diverse" S = 3/2 ground-state complex, NN-SQCuTpCum,Me, has been prepared. The three S = 1/2 spin carriers are nitronyl nitroxide (NN), o-semiquinone (o-SQ), and cupric ion. The solid-state structure of the ZnII derivative, NN-SQZnTpCum,Me (C56H69BN8O4Zn), was determined: monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 12.5781(12) A, b = 17.7408(17) A, c = 24.440(2) A, alpha = 90.00 degrees, beta = 98.240(2) degrees, gamma = 90.00 degrees, Z = 4. The results of X-ray structural characterization of the ZnII derivative suggest substantial interaction between the two spin carriers NN and o-SQ. Indeed, strong intramolecular exchange coupling has been determined by variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies. Intraligand ferromagnetic exchange is considerably greater than kT, such that only the triplet state is populated at 300 K, and CuII-ligand exchange is ferromagnetic, with J = +75 cm-1.