New approach for designing single-chain magnets: organization of chains via hydrogen bonding between nucleobases.

Two one-dimensional (1D) manganese complexes, [Mn(2)(naphtmen)(2)(L)](ClO(4))·2Et(2)O·2MeOH·H(2)O (1) and [Mn(2)(naphtmen)(2)(HL)](ClO(4))(2)·MeOH (2), were synthesized by using a bridging ligand with a nucleobase moiety, 6-amino-9-β-carboxyethylpurine, and a salen-type manganese(III) dinuclear complex, [Mn(2)(naphtmen)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (naphtmen(2-) = N,N'-(1,1,2,2-tetramethylethylene)bis(naphthylideneiminato) dianion). In 1 and 2, the carboxylate-bridged Mn(III) dinuclear units are alternately linked by two kinds of weak Mn···O interactions into 1D chains. As a result, canted antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions are alternately present along the chains, leading to a 1D chain with non-cancellation of anisotropic spins. Since the chains connected via H-bonds between nucleobase moieties are magnetically isolated, both 1 and 2 act as single-chain magnets (SCMs). More importantly, this result shows the smaller canting angles hinder long-range ordering in favor of SCM dynamics.