Synthesis and magnetism of 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediylbis-(oxamato) bridged trinuclear copper(II) complexes

Summary Four novel trinuclear copper(II) complexes have been synthesized, namely {Cu(pbaOH)]Cu(L)]₂}(ClO₄)₂, where pbaOH = 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediylbis(oxamato) and L is 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (NO₂-phen), 2,2-bipyridyl (bipy) or 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (Me₂bipy). Based on i.r. and electronic spectra, elemental analyses, and conductivity measurements 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-(pbaOH)]Cu(phen)]₂}(ClO₄) ₂ has been studied in the 4.2–300 K range, giving the exchange integral J=- 111.9cm^–1. The result revealed the operation of an antiferromagnetic spin-exchange interaction between adjacent copper ions.