Synthesis, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of a new family of heterometallic cyanide-bridged Fe(III)2M(II)2 (M=Mn, Ni, and Co) square complexes.

New heterobimetallic tetranuclear complexes of formula Fe(III){B(pz)(4)}(CN)(2)(μ-CN)Mn(II)(bpy)(2)(ClO(4))(2)·CH(3)CN (1), Fe(III){HB(pz)(3)}(CN)(2)(μ-CN)Ni(II)(dmphen)(2)(ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (2a), Fe(III){B(pz)(4)}(CN)(2)(μ-CN)Ni(II)(dmphen)(2)(ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (2b), Fe(III){HB(pz)(3)}(CN)(2)(μ-CN)Co(II)(dmphen)(2)(ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (3a), and Fe(III){B(pz)(4)}(CN)(2)(μ-CN)Co(II)(dmphen)(2)(ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (3b), [HB(pz)(3)(-) = hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate, B(Pz)(4)(-) = tetrakis(1-pyrazolyl)borate, dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine] have been synthesized and structurally and magnetically characterized. Complexes 1-3b have been prepared by following a rational route based on the self-assembly of the tricyanometalate precursor fac-Fe(III)(L)(CN)(3) (L = tridentate anionic ligand) and cationic preformed complexes M(II)(L')(2)(H(2)O)(2) (L' = bidentate α-diimine type ligand), this last species having four blocked coordination sites and two labile ones located in cis positions. The structures of 1-3b consist of cationic tetranuclear Fe(III)(2)M(II)(2) square complexes [M = Mn (1), Ni (2a and 2b), Co (3a and 3b)] where corners are defined by the metal ions and the edges by the Fe-CN-M units. The charge is balanced by free perchlorate anions. The Fe(L)(CN)(3) complex in 1-3b acts as a ligand through two cyanide groups toward two divalent metal complexes. The magnetic properties of 1-3b have been investigated in the temperature range 2-300 K. A moderately strong antiferromagnetic interaction between the low-spin Fe(III) (S = 1/2) and high-spin Mn(II) (S = 5/2) ions has been found for 1 leading to an S = 4 ground state (J(1) = -6.2 and J(2) = -2.7 cm(-1)), whereas a moderately strong ferromagnetic interaction between the low-spin Fe(III) (S = 1/2) and high-spin Ni(II) (S = 1) and Co(II) (S = 3/2) ions has been found for complexes 2a-3b with S = 3 (2a and 2b) and S = 4 (3a and 3b) ground spin states [J(1) = +21.4 cm(-1) and J(2) = +19.4 cm(-1) (2a); J(1) = +17.0 cm(-1) and J(2) = +12.5 cm(-1) (2b); J(1) = +5.4 cm(-1) and J(2) = +11.1 cm(-1) (3a); J(1) = +8.1 cm(-1) and J(2) = +11.0 cm(-1) (3b)] [the exchange Hamiltonian being of the type Ĥ = -J(Ŝ(i)·Ŝ(j))]. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to substantiate the nature and magnitude of the exchange magnetic coupling observed in 1-3b and also to analyze the dependence of the exchange magnetic coupling on the structural parameters of the Fe-C-N-M skeleton.