Family of Heterometallic Semicircular Mn^III₂Ln^III₃ Strands

Abstract

A series of heterometallic complexes of formula [Mn(III)(2)Ln(III)(3)(bdeaH)(3)(bdea)(2)(piv)(8)] x MeCN, where bdeaH(2) = N-butyldiethanolamine, piv = pivalate, and Ln = Y (1), Tb (2), Dy (3), Ho (4), and Er (5), has been prepared. 1-5 are isostructural, with the metal centers forming a novel semicircular Ln(III)-Mn(III)-Ln(III)-Mn(III)-Ln(III) strand. Only 2 and 3 exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization, suggesting that the highly anisotropic Ln(III) ions (Tb(III) and Dy(III)) are essential for an energy barrier to spin reversal.