Cyano-bridged molecular squares: Synthesis and structures of [Ni(cyclen)]2[Pt(CN)4]2 · 6H2O, [Ni(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O and [Mn(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O

Three cyano-bridged complexes [Ni(cyclen)]2[Pt(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (1), [Ni(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (2) and [Mn(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (3) (cyclen is 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. These complexes have a cyclic tetranuclear structure, the so-called a molecular square, in which two cis-cyano groups of each tetracyanometalate, [M(CN)4]2−, (M = Ni, Pt) are linked to two [M′(cyclen)]2+ (M′=Ni, Mn) units.

Graphical abstractThree cyano-bridged molecular squares, [Ni(cyclen)]2[Pt(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (1), [Ni(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (2) and [Mn(cyclen)]2[Ni(CN)4]2 · 6H2O (3) (cyclen = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The magnetic data suggest that there is very weak ferromagnetic intradimer interaction and an even weaker interdimer antiferromagnetic coupling in (1) and (2).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide