Cyano-bridged homodinuclear copper(II) complexes.

The synthesis and structural analysis (single crystal X-ray data) of two mononuclear ([Cu(L(1))(CN)]BF(4) and [Cu(L(3))(CN)](BF(4))) and three related, cyanide-bridged homodinuclear complexes ([{Cu(L(1))}(2)(CN)](BF(4))(3)·1.35 H(2)O, [{Cu(L(2))}(2)(CN)](BF(4))(3) and [{Ni(L(3))}(2)(CN)](BF(4))(3)) with a tetradentate (L(1)) and two isomeric pentadentate bispidine ligands (L(2), L(3); bispidines are 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.

Calculation of exchange coupling constants of transition metal complexes with DFT.

A broken-symmetry method for the calculation of exchange coupling constants from DFT calculations, using the Heisenberg-Dirac-van Vleck spin Hamiltonian, has been validated for a dinuclear copper(II) complex. Hybrid functionals in combination with a large basis set on the metal centers and their first coordination sphere, and a smaller basis set on the ligand backbone are shown to be efficient and acceptable with respect to the computational cost and precision in comparison with experimental data. This method was thoroughly tested with a series of oligonuclear transition metal complexes with Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Mn(III), Mn(IV), Ni(II), and V(IV) as magnetic centers.