A Carbonate-Templated Decanuclear Mn Nanocage with Two Different Silsesquioxane Ligands.

The mild reaction of the preorganized silsesquioxane precursor with Mn(II) acetate under ambient conditions results in a mixed-valent {MnMn} nanocage () which is protected by both acyclic trimer [Si3] and cyclic tetramer [Si4]. Serendipitous capture of atmospheric CO as a μ-carbonate anion placed at the center supports the formation of the cluster. The magnetic analysis reveals the strong antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn ions. Moreover, the drop-casting film of shows photoelectric activity indicating its great potential as a semiconductor for photoelectric conversion applications.