Synthesis, characterization and magnetic properties of novel μ-isophthalato oxovanadium(IV) binuclear complexes

Four novel oxovanadium(IV) binuclear complexes have been synthesized, namely [(VO)₂(IPHTA) (L)₂SO₄ (L denotes 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy); 1,10-phenanthroline (phen); 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (Me₂bpy) and 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (NO₂-phen)), where IPHTA is the isophthalate dianon. Based on elemental analyses, molar conductivity measurements, IR and electronic spectra studies, it is proposed that these complexes have IPHTA-bridged structures and consist of two vanadium(IV) atoms in a square-pyramidal environment. The complexes [(VO)₂(IPHTA)(Me₂bpy)₂]SO₄ (1) and [(VO)₂(IPHTA)(bpy)₂]SO₄ (2) were characterized by variable temperature magnetic susceptibility (4–300 K) and the data could be well fitted by the least-squares method to a susceptibility equation derived from the spin Hamiltonian operator, . The exchange integral, J, was found to be −26.8 cm⁻¹ for (1) and −31.0 cm⁻¹ for (2). These results are commensurate with antifferomagnetic interactions between two oxovanadium(IV) ions within each molecule. The influence of different terminal ligands on magnetic interactions between the metals of this kind of complexes is also discussed.