Synthesis and characterization of homo- and heterovalent tetra- hexa- hepta- and decanuclear manganese clusters using pyridyl functionalized beta-diketone, carboxylate and triethanolamine ligands.

The syntheses and characterizations are reported for six new homo- and heterovalent manganese clusters, utilizing pyridyl functionalized beta-diketones ligands. The reaction of the trinuclear complex [Mn3O(O2CPh)6(H2O)(Py)2] with 1,3-di(pyridine-2-yl)propane-1,3-dione (dppdH) in CH2Cl2 resulted in a mixed-valence Mn3(II)Mn6(III)Mn(IV) decanuclear cluster of formula [Mn10O7(dppd)3(O2CPh)11] x 4 CH2Cl2 (1). The structure of the core of 1 is based upon a centred tricapped trigonal prism. Reacting Mn(BF4)2 x xH2O with dppdH and triethylamine (NEt3) in CH2Cl2-MeOH gave a rare, homoleptic hexanuclear cluster of formula [Mn(II)6(dppd)8][BF4]4 (2) which has a triangular based core. Reaction of Mn(Y)2 x xH2O, Y = NO3(-) or BF4(-), with dppdH or 1-phenyl-3-(2-pyridyl)propane-1,3-dione (pppdH) in the presence of triethanolamine (teaH3) and NEt3 gave a heptanuclear 'disc' like manganese core of general formula [Mn(II)7(X)6(tea)(OH)3][Y]2 x solv (3) X = pppd- or dppd- and Y = NO3(-) or BF4(-). The addition of N-(2-pyridinyl)acetoacetamide (paaH) to Mn(Y)2 x 4 H2O Y = NO3(-) or ClO4(-) in MeOH gave a second divalent heptanuclear cluster with a 'disc'-like core of general formula [Mn7(paa)6(OMe)6][X]2 x solv (4) (X = NO3(-) or ClO4(-)), whilst the addition of paaH to a mixture of Mn(NO3)2 x 4 H2O, teaH3 and NEt3 in CH2Cl2-MeOH resulted in the formation of a mixed-valence Mn2(II)Mn2(III) tetranuclear 'butterfly' complex of formula [Mn4(paa)4(teaH)2][NO3]2 x 2 MeOH x 2 CH2Cl2 (5). Compound 5 displays the rare Mn(II/III) oxidation state distribution of the body positions being Mn(II) while the wing tips are Mn(III). The in situ formation of the tetranuclear [Mn4(teaH)2(teaH2)2(O2C(CH3)3)2][O2C(CH3)3]2 'butterfly' complex followed by the addition of Mn(O2CMe)2 x 4 H2O resulted in a mixed-valence Mn4(II)Mn(III)Mn(IV) hexanuclear species of formula [Mn6O2(teaH2)4(O2CMe)4][NO3]2[O2CMe] x CH2Cl2 x MeOH x 2 H2O (6). The core of 6 displays a face sharing dicubane topology. Compounds 1 and 6 both display novel trapped-valence metal cores containing three different oxidation states on the manganese ion. Compounds 1, 2 and 3 are the first manganese based dppd clusters, while 4 and 5 are the first with the pyridylamino-substituted beta-diketone ligand (paaH). The magnetic data for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are dominated by antiferromagnetic interactions within the clusters, leading to small ground spin values of S = 1 for 1, S = 3 for 2, S = 5/2 for 3, S = 5/2 for 4 and S = 1/2 for 6. Compound 5, however, displays overall ferromagnetic interactions with the data indicating an S = 6 ground state. 5 also exhibits probable single molecule magnet behaviour as indicated by frequency dependent out-of-phase chiM'' peaks in the AC susceptibility measurements.