The employment of the fluorescent bridging and chelating ligand N-naphthalidene-2-amino-5-chlorobenzoic acid (nacbH2) in Ni(II) cluster chemistry has led to a series of pentanuclear and hexanuclear compounds with different structural motifs, magnetic and optical properties, as well as an interesting 1-D coordination polymer. Synthetic parameters such as the inorganic anion present in the NiX2 starting materials (X = ClO4(-) or Cl(-)), the reaction solvent and the nature of the organic base employed for the deprotonation of nacbH2 were proved to be structure-directing components. Undoubtedly, the reported results demonstrate the rich coordination chemistry of nacbH2 in the presence of Ni(II) metal ions and the ability of this chelate to adopt a variety of different modes, thus fostering the formation of high-nuclearity molecules with many physical properties.

The synthesis of a new {Ni₈} cluster bearing tetrazolate- and azido-bridging ligands, and supported by chelating α-methyl-2-pyridine-methanol (mpmH) groups, is described herein. The reported compound has a unique trapezoidal prismatic topology, resulting from an unexpected in situ click reaction between the MeCN reaction solvent and the N₃^- ions under mild, room-temperature conditions. Such a click chemistry approach to the preparation of 0-D compounds is relatively unexplored and represents a fruitful strategy for the synthesis of new coordination clusters and molecule-based magnetic materials.

The initial employment of the fluorescent bridging ligand N-naphthalidene-2-amino-5-chlorobenzoic acid (nacbH2) in metal cluster chemistry has led to new Ni12 (1) and Ni5 (2) clusters with wheel-like and molecular-chain topologies, respectively. The doubly-deprotonated nacb(2-) ligands were found to adopt four different coordination modes within 1 and 2. The nature of the ligand has also allowed unexpected organic transformations to occur and ferromagnetic and emission behaviors to emerge. The combined work demonstrates the ability of some "ligands-with-benefits" to yield beautiful structures with exciting topologies and interesting physicochemical properties.

One-pot reactions between the [Mn₃O(O₂CPh)₆(py)_x]^+/0 triangular precursors and either CaBr₂·xH₂O or CaCl₂·6H₂O, in the presence of salicylhydroxamic acid (shaH₂), have afforded the heterometallic complexes [Mn^III₄Ca₂(O₂CPh)₄(shi)₄(H₂O)₃(Me₂CO)] (1) and (pyH)[Mn^II₂Mn^III₄Ca₂Cl₂(O₂CPh)₇(shi)₄(py)₄] (2), respectively, in good yields. Further reactions but using a more flexible synthetic scheme comprising the Mn(NO₃)₂·4H₂O/Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and Mn(O₂CPh)₂·2H₂O/Ca(ClO₄)₂·4H₂O "metal blends" and shaH₂, in the presence of external base NEt₃, led to the new complexes (NHEt₃)₂[Mn^III₄Mn^IV₄Ca(OEt)₂(shi)₁₀(EtOH)₂] (3) and (NHEt₃)₄[Mn^III₈Ca₂(CO₃)₄(shi)₈] (4), respectively. In all reported compounds, the anion of the tetradentate (N,O,O,O)-chelating/bridging ligand salicylhydroxime (shi^3-), resulting from the in situ metal-ion-assisted amide-iminol tautomerism of shaH₂, was found to bridge both Mn and Ca atoms. Complexes 1-4 exhibit a variety of different structures, metal stoichiometries, and Mn oxidation-state descriptions; 1 possesses an overall octahedral metal arrangement, 2 can be described as a Mn₄Ca₂ octahedron bound to an additional Mn₂ unit, 3 consists of a Mn₈ "ring" surrounding a Ca^II atom, and 4 adopts a rectangular cuboidal motif of eight Mn atoms accommodating two Ca^II atoms. Solid-state direct-current magnetic susceptibility studies revealed the presence of predominant antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the Mn centers, leading to S = 0 spin ground-state values for all complexes. From a bioinorganic chemistry perspective, the reported compounds may demonstrate some relevance to both high-valent scheme (3) and lower-oxidation-level species (1, 2, and 4) of the catalytic cycle of the oxygen-evolving complex.