One-pot reactions of 2,6-dipicolinoylbis(N,N-diethylthiourea) (H2L) with Co(CH3COO)2·4H2O and LnCl3, where Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Er, and Yb, in warm methanol
in the presence of Et3N, give stable trinuclear complexes
of the composition [LnCo2(L)2(μ1,3-OOCCH3)2X] (“CoLnCo” complexes),
where X– = κ2-CH3COO– or Cl–. X-ray structure determinations
reveal symmetric trinuclear complexes containing two organic ligands
(L2–), two terminal CoII ions, and one
central LnIII ion. The organic ligands coordinate equatorially
to the two CoII ions via two bidentate (O,S) N-acylthiourea moieties and tridentate to the central Ln ion via the
(O,N,O) 2,6-dipicolinoyl moieties. Two acetate bridges established
between each of the terminal Co and central Ln ions complete the square-pyramidal
coordination spheres of CoII. All products possess an additional
chlorido ligand axially coordinated to the lanthanide except the gadolinium(III)
and lanthanum(III) complexes, where bidentate acetato ligands are
coordinated. Fitting the χm
T versus T data of the “CoLaCo” complex gives the axial
and rhombic zero-field-splitting parameters D = 24.3(4)
cm–1 and E = −1.0(2) cm–1, respectively, and anisotropic Landé values g
x,y
= 2.81(1)
and g
z
= 2.00 as well
as weak antiferromagnetic interactions between two high-spin CoII centers with J = −0.49(2) cm–1. The nature of the magnetic interactions between
the LnIII ions and the CoII ions in the “CoLnCo”
complexes is deduced by comparing their χM
T values to the sum of χM
T values of the analogous “CoLaCo” and related “ZnLnZn”
complexes. The “CoDyCo” complex reveals an antiferromagnetic
interaction, while the remaining “CoLnCo” complexes
show ferromagnetic interactions.