High spin d5 complexes of tris(6-hydroxymethyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine (H3L): hepta-coordinated [Mn(H3L)]Cl2 and linear trinuclear [Fe3L2](ClO4)3

Reaction of MnCl(2).4H(2)O with H(3)L (H(3)L = tris(6-hydroxymethyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine) in methanol gives hepta-coordinated Mn(H(3)L)]Cl(2) involving attachment of Mn(II) to all four nitrogens and three hydroxymethyl arms. Reaction of H(3)L with Fe(ClO(4))(2).6H(2)O in CH(3)CN in the presence of NaO(2)CC(6)H(5) in an attempt to make Fe(III)OH(H(3)L)(O(2)CC(6)H(5))](ClO(4)), a putative model for soybean lipoxygenase-1, instead gave rise to the linear triiron(III) complex Fe(3)L(2)](ClO(4))(3) with all three hydroxymethyl arms deprotonated and forming three alkoxide bridges between each Fe(III) centre. The central Fe(III) is hexa-coordinated to only the alkoxide bridges and flanked by two hepta-coordinated iron(III) centres analogous to the Mn(ii) complex. Fe(3)L(2)](ClO(4))(3) exhibits two reversible 1e(-) reductions to mixed-valence Fe(3)L(2)](2+) and Fe(3)L(2)](+) forms. Structure data and magnetochemistry on Fe(3)L(2)](ClO(4))(3) reveals the tightest Fe-O-Fe angle (87.4 degrees ) and shortest Fe...Fe distance (2.834 A) yet found for any weakly antiferromagnetically-coupled high spin alkoxide-bridged di- or triiron(iii) system and challenges current theories involved in correlating the extent/nature of magnetic interactions in such systems based on Fe-O(bridge) distances and Fe-O-Fe angles. The central hexa-alkoxide coordinated Fe(III) is novel and shows a remarkable resistance towards reduction to Fe(II).