Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The employment of cyanato (OCN-) group in high oxidation state manganese cluster chemistry, in conjunction with carboxylate ions and the organic chelating/bridging ligand 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (hmpH), is reported. The syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetochemical characterization are described for [Mn16O8(OR)4(OCN)4(O2CMe)12(hmp)6(ROH)2] (R = Me (1), Et (2)) and [Mn18O14(O2CR)18(hmp)4(hmpH)2(H2O)2] (R = Me (3), Et (4)). The 2:1:1:1 reactions of Mn(O2CMe)2·4H2O, hmpH, NaOCN and NEt3 in solvent MeOH or EtOH afford the isostructural complexes [Mn16O8(OR)4(OCN)4(O2CMe)12(hmp)6(ROH)2] (R = Me (1), Et (2)). The [Mn16(μ4-O)4(μ3-O)4(μ-OMe)4(μ3-OR)6(μ-OR)6]10+ core of representative complex 1 comprises a MnII4MnIII4 double-cubane subunit attached on either side to two symmetry-related MnIIMnIII3 defective dicubanes. A similar reaction of Mn(O2CR)2·4H2O, hmpH, NaOCN and NEt3, but in solvent MeCN, led instead to the formation of [Mn18O14(O2CR)18(hmp)4(hmpH)2(H2O)2] (R = Me (3), Et (4)). Compounds 3 and 4 are very similar to each other and can be described as a central [MnIII4(μ-O)6] rodlike subunit attached on either side to two symmetry-related [Mn7O9] subunits. Variable-temperature, solid-state dc and ac magnetic susceptibility studies revealed the presence of predominant antiferromagnetic exchange interactions in all compounds, and possible S = 2 or 1 (for 1 and 2) and S = 0 (for 3 and 4) ground state spin values. The combined results demonstrate the ability of cyanato groups to facilitate the formation of new polynuclear MnII/III complexes with structures different than these obtained from the use of the related azides.