Magneto−Structural Correlation in a Series of Bimetallic Alternating Chain Complexes of [Cr^IIIL(CN)₄]<i>_n</i>[Mn^III(salpn)]<i>_n</i>·<i>n</i>Solvents (L = 2,2‘-bipy or 9,10-phen, salpn = Substituted Salicyldehyde, Solvents = Water and Methanol)

Five chain compounds based on the building block of [Cr(L)(CN)4]- (L = 2,2‘-bipy, 1−4; L = 9,10-phen, 5) and [Mn(salpn)]+ (salpn = substituted salicyldehyde-type Schiff base in Scheme ) have been prepared and characterized structurally and magnetically. The four compounds (1−4) consisting of [Cr(bipy)(CN)4]- units possess straight bimetallic chains as the [Cr(bpy)(CN)4]- unit links the two neighbor [Mn(salpn)]+ units with the two trans-cyanide ligands, while in 5 the chain is zigzag because the [Cr(phen)(CN)4]- unit connects the [Mn(salpn)]+ units with its two cis-cyanide ligands. The bond angles of Mn−N−C−Cr are adjusted by different coligands of salpn and bipy/phen. The chains are stacking via mainly the aromatic π−π-type interactions. All compounds show 3D antiferromagnetic ordering with Néel temperatures ranging from 3.7 to 8.1 K, and they are metamagnets displaying antiferromagnetic to ferrimagnetic transition at critical fields of 4.0−13.1 kOe at 1.9 K. This is due to weak interchain antiferromagnetic interactions between the ferrimagnetic bimetallic chains in the materials. The intrachain couplings (J, in cm-1) in the materials, between cyanide-bridged CrIII and MnIII ions, from −1.84 to −5.35 cm-1, follow a linear relationship (J = −33 + 0.18α) to the Mn−N−C angles (α, in deg). In addition, the weak interchain antiferromagnetic interactions and critical fields for antiferromagnetic−ferrimagnetic transition are closely related to some of their structural factors, which were studied very superficially only referring to the separations of nearest chains in each material.