AsMo7O27-bridged dinuclear sandwich-type heteropolymolybdates of Cr(III) and Fe(III): magnetism of [MM'(AsMo7O27)2]12- with MM' = FeFe, CrFe, and CrCr.

Two new dinuclear sandwich-type heteropolymolybdates based on the mulitidendate inorganic fragment [AsMo(7)O(27)] and Cr(III) and Fe(III) ions, namely, the homometallic sandwich polyoxometalate (POM) (NH(4))(12)[Fe(2)(AsMo(7)O(27))(2)] x 12 H(2)O (1) and the first example of the "symmetrical" heterometallic Cr(III)-Fe(III) sandwich POM, (NH(4))(12)[FeCr(AsMo(7)O(27))(2)] x 13 H(2)O (2), were simultaneously synthesized in high yield. Their magnetic properties are thoroughly investigated together with the homometallic sandwich POM (NH(4))(12)[Cr(2)(AsMo(7)O(27))(2)] x 11 H(2)O (3). The chi(M)T values for compounds 1-3 at 300 K correspond well to the calculated spin-only values for Fe(III) (S = 5/2) and Cr(III) (S = 3/2) with g(Fe) = g(Cr) = 2. Upon cooling, the chi(M)T values decline monotonously and reach 0.14, 1.00, and 0.11 cm(3) K mol(-1) at 2.0 K for 1, 2, and 3, respectively, indicating a significant antiferromagnetic exchange between the magnetic centers with J = -2.09, -4.09, and -6.26 cm(-1), respectively, for 1, 2, and 3. The magnetic results clearly establish that compound 2 is formed by bimetallic Cr(III)-Fe(III) units and not by a mixture of the two antiferromagnetically coupled homometallic species. Their thermal properties are also characterized.