RESUMEN

A novel family of paramagnetic tetranuclear ferrous cubanes is reported. Two complexes from this family are described and their magnetic properties are discussed in relation to their structures.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Reaction of CuX(2) (X(-)=Cl(-), Br(-), NO(3) (-)), NaOH, and 3[5]-tert-butylpyrazole (Hpz(tBu)) in a 1:1:2 molar ratio in MeOH at 293 K for three days affords [[Cu(3)(Hpz(tBu))(6)(mu(3)-X)(mu(3)-OH)(3)](2)Cu]X(6) (X(-)=Cl(-), 1; X(-)=Br(-), 2; X(-)=NO(3)(-), 3) in moderate yields. These compounds contain a centrosymmetric, vertex-sharing double-cubane [[Cu(3)(Hpz(tBu))(6)(mu(3)-X)(mu(3)-OH)(3)](2)Cu](6+) core, surrounded by a belt of six hydrogen-bonded X(-) ions. For 1 and 2, the ring of guest anions has near C(3) symmetry, that is slightly distorted owing to the axis of Jahn-Teller elongation at the central Cu ion. For 3 only, the NO(3)(-) guest ions are crystallographically disordered, reflecting their poor complimentarity with complex host. A similar reaction employing CuF(2) yields [[Cu(3)(Hpz(tBu))(4)(mu-pz(tBu))(2)(mu-F)(2)(mu(3)-F)](2)]F(2) (4), whose structure contains a cyclic hexacopper core with approximate C(2v) symmetry. Finally, an analogous reaction using Cu(NCS)(2) gives a mixture of trans-[Cu(NCS)(2)(Hpz(tBu))(2)] (5) and [Cu(2)(NCS)(2)(mu-pz(tBu))(2)(mu-Hpz(tBu))(Hpz(tBu))(2)] (6). The latter compound contains a Hpzt(Bu) ligand bridging the two Cu ions in an unusual kappa(1),mu-coordination mode. The variable temperature magnetic properties of 1-3 show antiferromagnetic behavior, leading to a S=1/2 ground state in which the seven copper(II) ions are associated into three mutually independent distinct spin systems. In confirmation of this interpretation, Q-band EPR spectra of solid 1 and 2 at 5 K also demonstrate a S= 1/2 spin system and exhibit hyperfine coupling to three (63,65)Cu nuclei. Unusually, the coupling is manifest as an eight-line splitting of the parallel feature, rather than the usual 10 lines. This has been rationalized by a spin-projection calculation, and results from the relative magnitudes of coupling to the three Cu nuclei. UV/Vis and mass spectrometric data show that 1-4 decompose to lower nuclearity species in solution.