title: Nuclearity controlled cyanide-bridged bimetallic CrIII-MnII compounds: synthesis, crystal structures, magnetic properties and theoretical calculations.
abstract: The preparation, X-ray crystallography and magnetic investigation of the compounds PPh4[Cr(bipy)(CN)4].2 CH3CN.H2O (1) (mononuclear), [[Cr(bipy)(CN)4]2Mn-(H2O)4].4H2O (2) (trinuclear), [[Cr(bipy)(CN)4]2Mn(H2O)2] (3) (chain) and [[Cr(bipy)(CN)4]2Mn(H2O)].H2O.CH3CN (4) (double chain) [bipy=2,2'-bipyridine; PPh4 (+)=tetraphenylphosphonium] are described herein. The [Cr(bipy)(CN)4]- unit act either as a monodentate (2) or bis-monodentate (3) ligand toward the manganese atom through one (2) or two (3) of its four cyanide groups. The manganese atom is six-coordinate with two (2) or four (3) cyanide nitrogens and four (2) or two (3) water molecules building a distorted octahedral environment. In 4, two chains of 3 are pillared through interchain Mn-N-C-Cr links which replace one of the two trans-coordinated water molecules at the manganese atom to afford a double chain structure where bis- and tris-monodenate coordination modes of [Cr(bipy)(CN)4]- coexist. The magnetic properties of 1-4 were investigated in the temperature range 1.9-300 K. A Curie law behaviour for a magnetically isolated spin quartet is observed for 1. A significant antiferromagnetic interaction between CrIII and MnII through the single cyanide bridge [J=-6.2 cm(-1), the Hamiltonian being defined as H=-J(SCr1.SMn+SCr2.SMn] occurs in 2 leading to a low-lying spin doublet which is fully populated at T <5 K. A metamagnetic behaviour is observed for 3 and 4 [the values of the critical field Hc being ca. 3000 (3) and 1500 Oe (4)] which is associated to the occurrence of weak interchain antiferromagnetic interactions between ferrimagnetic Cr2III MnII chains. The analysis of the exchange pathways in 2-4 through DFT type calculations together with the magnetic bevaviour simulation using the quantum Monte Carlo methodology provided a good understanding of their magnetic properties.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Química Inorgànica/Instituto de Ciencia Molecular, Facultat de Química de la Universitat de València, Avda. Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain.
authors.forename: Luminita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: Rodrigue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lescouëzec
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaissermann
authors.forename: Fernando S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Pérez
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lloret
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Julve