Syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic characterization of five new dimeric manganese(III) tetradentate Schiff base complexes exhibiting single-molecule-magnet behavior.

Tetradentate Schiff base ligands H2L (H2saltmen, H2salen, H2-5-Brsalen, and H2-3,5-Brsalen), derived from the condensation of the corresponding salicylaldehyde or its derivatives with 1,1,2,2-tetramethylethyldiamine or 1, 2-diaminoethane, reacted with Mn(III) acetate or perchlorate salts and sodium azide or sodium cyanate to produce five Mn(III) dimer complexes, [Mn(saltmen)(O2CCH3)]2.2CH3CO2H (1), [Mn(saltmen)(N3)]2 (2), [Mn(salen)(NCO)]2 (3), [Mn(3,5-Brsalen)(3,5-Brsalicylaldehyde)]2 (4), and [Mn(5-Brsalen)(CH3OH)]2(ClO4)2 (5). These new complexes have been characterized by IR, elemental analyses, crystal structural analyses, and magnetic studies. Within these Mn(III) dimeric complexes, two Mn(III) ions are connected by phenolate oxygen atoms with acetate, azide, cyanate, a 3,5-Brsalicyladehyde anion, and a neutral methanol molecule as the axial ligands for complexes 1-5, respectively. Complexes 1-4 exhibit intradimer ferromagnetic exchange and display frequency dependence of ac magnetic susceptibility, possibly showing single-molecule-magnet (SMM) behavior. In contrast, complex 5 shows an intradimer antiferromagnetic coupling probably originating from the relatively shorter Mn-O distance, compared to those of complexes 1-4.