Manganese(ii) Oxazolidine Nitroxide Chelates: Structure, Magnetism, and Redox Properties

The mononuclear oxazolidine nitroxide complex [MnII(L•)2](ClO4)2 (1) (L•, 4-dimethyl-2,2-di(2-pyridyl)oxazolidine N-oxide) has been synthesized and investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements, and electrochemistry. The structural analysis reveals bond lengths compatible with a linear L•–MnII–L• arrangement where the ligands are in the neutral ligand form and the central MnII ion is high spin (S = 5/2). Although analysis of the variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data suggests a strong antiferromagnetic metal–radical interaction, the radical–radical intramolecular interaction could not be determined unambiguously from such fits. The resultant isolated S = 3/2 ground state is confirmed by low-temperature magnetization versus field measurements. Electrochemical studies reveal similar square schemes and redox intermediates to the previously reported analogues [FeII(L•)2][BF4]2 and [CoII(L•)2][NO3]2.