Unprecedented gallium-nitrogen anions: synthesis and characterization of [(Cl3Ga)3N]3- and [(Cl3Ga)2NSnMe3]2-.

The [(Cl3Ga)3N](3-) (1) anion, which is the sole example of a discrete chemical species containing a μ3-N atom bound only to gallium, was isolated from the reaction of Cl3Ga·N(SnMe3)3 with [GaCl4](1-). The analogous reaction of [GaCl4](1-) with (Me3Sn)3N afforded [(Cl3Ga)2NSnMe3](2-) (2), which is also an unprecedented anion containing a single μ3-N atom bound to only gallium and tin.

[ReCl4(CN)2]2-: a high magnetic anisotropy building unit giving rise to the single-chain magnets (DMF)4MReCl4(CN)2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni).

An S = 3/2, high-anisotropy building unit, trans-[ReCl(4)(CN)(2)](2-), representing the first paramagnetic complex with a mixture of just cyanide and halide ligands, has been synthesized through the reaction of (Bu(4)N)CN with ReCl(4)(THF)(2). This species is characterized in detail and employed in directing the formation of a series of one-dimensional coordination solids of formula (DMF)(4)MReCl(4)(CN)(2) (M = Mn (2), Fe (3), Co (4), Ni (5)). Variable-temperature dc magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate the presence of intrachain antiferromagnetic (2) and ferromagnetic (3-5) exchange coupling within these solids.

Symmetry-breaking substitutions of [Re(CN)8]3- into the centered, face-capped octahedral clusters (CH3OH)24M9M'6(CN)48 (M = Mn, Co; M = Mo, W).

The diamagnetic complex [Re(CN)8]3- is shown to react with Mn2+ ions in methanol to generate the centered, face-capped octahedral cluster (CH3OH)24Mn9Re6(CN)48, which is structurally analogous to (CH3OH)24Mn9Mo6(CN)48. Related reactions involving stoichiometric mixtures of octacyanometalate complexes generate the substituted species (CH3OH)24Mn9Mo5Re(CN)48, (CH3OH)24Co9Mo5Re(CN)48, (CH3OH)24Mn9Mo3Re3(CN)48, (CH3OH)24Mn9W5Re(CN)48 and (CH3OH)24Co9W5Re(CN)48, in which the O(h) symmetry of the cluster core is broken. Reassessment of the magnetic properties of the Mn9Mo6(CN)48 cluster confirm that it possesses a ground state spin of S = 39/2, but does not exhibit single-molecule-magnet behavior.

Initial members of the family of molecular mid-valent high-nuclearity iron nitrides: [Fe4N2X10]4- and [Fe10N8X12]5- (X = Cl-, Br-).

Current theoretical and experimental evidence points toward X = N as the identity of the interstitial atom in the [MoFe7S9X] core of the iron-molybdenum cofactor cluster of nitrogenase. This atom functions with mu6 bridging multiplicity to six iron atoms and, if it is nitrogen as nitride, raises a question as to the existence of a family of molecular iron nitrides of higher nuclearity than known dinuclear Fe(III,IV) species with linear [Fe-N-Fe]5+,4+ bridges. This matter has been initially examined by variation of reactant stoichiometry in the self-assembly systems [FeX4]1-/(Me3Sn)3N (X = Cl-, Br-) in acetonitrile.

New cyanometalate building units: synthesis and characterization of [Re(CN)(7)]3- and [Re(CN)(8)]3-.

Two new cyanorhenate complexes of potential utility in constructing magnetic and photomagnetic materials are reported. Reaction of (Bu4N)CN with [ReCl6]2- in acetonitrile affords yellow (Bu4N)3[Re(CN)7] (1), featuring the pentagonal bipyramidal complex [Re(CN)7]3-. The spectral and magnetic properties of 1 indicate that the complex has an S = 1/2 ground state with considerable anisotropy in the g tensor.