Synthesis, structures, and magnetic properties of carboxylate-bridged trinuclear complexes based on low-spin manganese(III)/iron(III) building blocks

Four linear trinuclear transition metal complexes have been prepared and characterized. The complexes [MII(MeOH)4][FeIII(L)2]2·2MeOH (M = Fe (1) or Ni (2)), [CoII(EtOH)2(H2O)2][FeIII(L)2]2·2EtOH (3), and [MnII(phen)2][MnIII(L)2]2·4MeOH (4) (H2L = ((2-carboxyphenyl)azo)-benzaldoxime, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) possesses a similar syn–anti carboxylate-bridged structure. The terminal Fe(III) or Mn(III) ions are low spin, and the central M(II) ions are high spin. Magnetic measurements show that antiferromagnetic interactions were present between the adjacent metal ions via the syn–anti carboxylate bridges. The antiferromagnetic coupling between low-spin Fe(III) and Ni(II) is unusual, which has been tentatively assigned to the structural distortion of Fe(III).