A nonanuclear copper(II) polyoxometalate assembled around a mu-1,1,1,3,3,3-azido ligand and its parent tetranuclear complex.

Reaction of Cu(II), [gamma-SiW10O36]8-, and N3- affords three azido polyoxotungstate complexes. Two of them have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex KNaCs10[{gamma-SiW10O36Cu2(H2O)(N3)2}2].26H2O (1) is obtained as crystals in few hours after addition of CsCl. This linear tetranuclear Cu(II) complex consists in two [gamma-SiW10O36Cu2(H2O)(N3)2]6- units connected through two W=O bridges. When the filtrate is left to stand for one night, a new complex is obtained. From both elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy, it has been postulated that this compound could be formulated K(1.5)Cs(5.5)[SiW10O37Cu2(H2O)2(N3)].14 H2O (1 a), showing the loss of one azido ligand per polyoxometalate unit. Finally, when no cesium salt is added to the reaction medium, the nonanuclear complex K12Na7[{SiW8O31Cu3(OH)(H2O)2(N3)}3(N3)].24 H2O (2) is obtained after three days. Compound 2 crystallizes in the R3c space group and consists in three {Cu3} units related by a C3 axis passing through the exceptional mu-1,1,1,3,3,3-azido bridging ligand. Each trinuclear Cu(II) unit is embedded in the [gamma-SiW8O31]10- ligand, an unprecedented tetravacant polyoxometalate, showing that partial decomposition of the [gamma-SiW10O36]8- precursor occurs with time in such experimental conditions. Magnetically, complex 1 behaves as two isolated {Cu2(mu(1,1)-N3)2} pairs in which the metal centers are strongly ferromagnetically coupled (J = +224 cm(-1), g = 2.20), the coupling through the W=O bridges being negligible. The magnetic behavior of complex 2 has also been studied. Relatively weak ferromagnetic couplings (J1 = +1.0 cm(-1), J2 = +20.0 cm(-1), g=2.17) have been found inside the {Cu3} units, while the intertrimeric magnetic interactions occurring through the hexadentate azido ligand have been found to be antiferromagnetic (J3 = -5.4 cm(-1)) and ferromagnetic (J4 = +1.3 cm(-1)) with respect to the end-to-end and end-on azido-bridged Cu(II) pairs, respectively.