[Mn12O12(O2CMe)12(NO3)4(H2O)4]: facile synthesis of a new type of Mn12 complex

The title dodecanuclear Mn complex, namely dodeca‐μ₂‐acetato‐κ²⁴O:O′‐tetraaquatetra‐μ₂‐nitrato‐κ⁸O:O′‐tetra‐μ₄‐oxido‐octa‐μ₃‐oxido‐tetramanganese(IV)octamanganese(III) nitromethane tetrasolvate, [Mn₁₂(CH₃COO)₁₂(NO₃)₄O₁₂(H₂O)₄]·4CH₃NO₂, was synthesized by the reaction of Mn²⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ sources in nitromethane with an excess of acetic acid. This compound is distinct from the previously known single‐molecule magnet [Mn₁₂O₁₂(O₂CMe)₁₆(H₂O)₄], synthesized by Lis [Acta Cryst. (1980), B 36 , 2042–2044]. It is the first Mn₁₂‐type molecule containing nitrate ligands to be directly synthesized without the use of a preformed cluster. Additionally, this molecule is distinct from all other known Mn₁₂ complexes due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the nitrate and water ligands, which give rise to a three‐dimensional network. The complex is compared to other known Mn₁₂ molecules in terms of its structural parameters and symmetry.