10.1039/b813944j
The research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of a novel linear heterotrinuclear iron(III)-copper(II)-iron(III) complex derived from 5-ferrocenyl-2-aminotroponew, which exhibits strong intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling in solid states due to a spin polarization mechanism. The complex was designed to overcome the rarity of long-distance ferromagnetic coupling within molecules by employing 2-aminotropone as a new π-spacer that can effectively chelate metals and allow for through-bond magnetic coupling. The synthesis involved Negishi coupling to form the precursor ligand, followed by reaction with copper(II) acetate to obtain the copper(II) complex. Electrochemical oxidation was used to prepare the 12+ complex. The experiments included X-ray crystallography to determine the molecular and packing structures, UV-Vis-NIR and ESR spectroscopy to analyze electronic absorption and magnetic properties, and SQUID magnetometry to measure magnetic behavior. Theoretical DFT calculations were also performed to estimate electronic structures and support the observed ferromagnetic coupling. The analyses revealed that the complex showed intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling and intermolecular antiferromagnetic coupling, with the spin polarization mechanism being confirmed through the calculated spin densities.