A bulky bidentate ligand was used to stabilize a macrocyclic [Fe(III)8Co(II)6] cluster. Tuning the basicity of the ligand by derivatization with one or two methoxy groups led to the isolation of a homologous [Fe(III)8Co(II)6] species and a [Fe(III)6Fe(II)2Co(III)2Co(II)2] complex, respectively. Lowering the reaction temperatures allowed isolation of [Fe(III)6Fe(II)2Co(III)2Co(II)2] clusters with all three ligands. Temperature-dependent absorption data and corresponding experiments with iron/nickel systems indicated that the iron/cobalt self-assembly process was directed by the occurrence of solution-state electron-transfer-coupled spin transition (ETCST) and its influence on reaction intermediate lability.
Keywords: ETCST; cyanide bridges; heterometallic complexes; mixed-valent compounds; self-assembly.
© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.