Two cyano-bridged heterotrinuclear complexes built from [(Tp)Fe(CN)3] (Tp = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate): synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties

Using an anionic precursor (Tp)Fe^III(CN)₃]⁻ (1) as a building block, two cyano-bridged centrosymmetric heterotrinuclear complexes, (2) and (3) (en = ethylenediamine), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. In each complex, TpFe(CN)₃]⁻ acts as a monodentate ligand toward a central Mn(C₂H₅OH)₄]²⁺ or Ni(en)₂]²⁺ core through one of its three cyanide groups, the other two cyanides remaining terminal. The intramolecular Fe-Mn and Fe-Ni distances are 5.2354(4) and 5.0669(11) Å, respectively. The magnetic properties of complexes 2 and 3 have been investigated in the temperature range of 2.0-300 K. A weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the Mn(II) and Fe(III) ions has been found in complex 2. The magnetic data of 2 can be fitted with the isotropic Hamiltonian: where J and J′ are the intramolecular exchange coupling parameters between adjacent and peripheral spin carriers, respectively. This leads to values of J = −1.37 cm⁻¹ and g = 2.05. The same fitting method is applied to complex 3 to give values of J = 1.2 cm⁻¹ and g = 2.25, showing that there is a ferromagnetic interaction between the Fe(III) and Ni(II) ions.