The reaction of mononuclear [LFeIII] where L represents the trianionic ligand 1,4,7-tris(4-tert-butyl-2-mercaptobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane with CrSO4·5H2O, CoCl2·6H2O, or Fe(BF4)2·6H2O and subsequent
oxidation with ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate or NO(BF4) or reduction with [(tmcn)Mo(CO)3] (tmcn =
1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) produced an isostructural series of [LFeMFeL]
n
+ complexes, the
following salts of which were isolated as crystalline solids: (i) [LFeCrFeL](PF6)
n
with n = 1 (1a), n = 2 (1b),
and n = 3 (1c); (ii) [LFeCoFeL]X
n
with X = BPh4 and n = 2 (2b) and X = PF6 and n = 3 (2c); (iii) [LFeFeFeL](BPh4)
n
with n = 2 (3b) and n = 3 (3c). All compounds contain linear trinuclear cations (face-sharing octahedral)
with an N3Fe(μ-SR)3M(μ-SR)3FeN3 core structure. The electron structure of all complexes has been studied
by Fe and M K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), UV−vis, and EPR spectroscopy, variable-temperature, variable-field susceptibility measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy (in zero and applied field).
The following electronic structures have been established: (1a) FeII(ls)CrIIIFeII(ls) (ls = low-spin) with a spin
ground state of S
t = 3/2; (1c) FeIII(ls)CrIIIFeIII(ls) with an S
t = 1/2 ground state; (2c) FeIII(ls)CoIII(ls)FeIII(ls)
with an S
t = 1 ground state; (3c) FeIII(ls)FeIII(ls)FeIII(ls) with an S
t = 1/2 ground state. For 1b (S
t = 2) it is
found that the two iron ions are spectroscopically equivalent (Fe2.5) and, therefore, the excess electron is
delocalized (class III): [LFe2.5CrIIIFe2.5L]2+. For 2b clearly two different iron sites prevail at low temperatures
(4.2 K); at higher temperatures (>200 K) they become equivalent on the Mössbauer time scale. Thus, 2b is
class II with temperature-dependent electron hopping between the FeII and FeIII ions. 3b is again fully delocalized
(class III) with an S
t = 1 ground state; the excess electron is delocalized over all three iron sites. The electronic
structure of all complexes is discussed in terms of double exchange and superexchange mechanisms.