O-phenylenebis(oxamato) bridged trinuclear copper(II) complexes: synthesis and magnetic properties

Summary Four new trinuclear copper(II) complexes bridged by o-phenylenebis(oxamato) (opba) and end-capped with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (NO₂-phen), 2,2-bipyridyl (bipy) or 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (Me₂bipy), {Cu(opba)]Cu(L)]₂}(ClO₄)₂ (L = phen, NO₂-phen, bipy or Me₂bipy), have been synthesized and characterized. Based on i.r., elemental analyses, conductivity measurements and electronic spectra, oxamato-bridged structures consisting of three copper(II) ions in which each copper(II) ion has a square-planar environment are proposed. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of {Cu(opba)]Cu(phen)]₂} (ClO₄)₂ has been studied in the 4.2–300 K range, giving the exchange integral J = -134.4cm^–1. The result revealed the operation of an antiferromagnetic spin-exchange interaction between the adjacent copper ions.