Anion-Controlled Assembly of Four Manganese Ions: Structural, Magnetic, and Electrochemical Properties of Tetramanganese Complexes Stabilized by Xanthene-Bridged Schiff Base Ligands

The reaction of manganese­(II) acetate with a xanthene-bridged bis­[3-(salicylideneamino)-1-propanol] ligand, H4L, afforded the tetramanganese­(II,II,III,III) complex [Mn4(L)2(μ-OAc)2], which has an incomplete double-cubane structure. The corresponding reaction using manganese­(II) chloride in the presence of a base gave the tetramanganese­(III,III,III,III) complex [Mn4(L)2Cl3(μ4-Cl)­(OH2)], in which four Mn ions are bridged by a Cl– ion. A pair of L ligands has a propensity to incorporate four Mn ions, the arrangement and oxidation states of which are dependent on the coexistent anions.