A Carbonate-Templated Decanuclear Mn Nanocage with Two Different Silsesquioxane Ligands

Abstract

The mild reaction of the preorganized silsesquioxane precursor with Mn(II) acetate under ambient conditions results in a mixed-valent {Mn^II₆Mn^III₄} nanocage (<b>SD/Mn10</b>) which is protected by both acyclic trimer [Si3] and cyclic tetramer [Si4]. Serendipitous capture of atmospheric CO₂ as a μ₅-carbonate anion placed at the center supports the formation of the cluster. The magnetic analysis reveals the strong antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn ions. Moreover, the drop-casting film of <b>SD/Mn10</b> shows photoelectric activity indicating its great potential as a semiconductor for photoelectric conversion applications.