Molecular multifunctionality preservation upon surface deposition for a chiral single-molecule magnet.

The synthesis and characterization of a chiral, enneanuclear Mn(iii)-based, Single-Molecule Magnet, [Mn9O4(Me-sao)6(L)3(MeO)3(MeOH)3]Cl (1; Me-saoH2 = methylsalicylaldoxime, HL = lipoic acid) is reported. Compound 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic P212121 space group and consists of a metallic skeleton describing a defect super-tetrahedron missing one vertex. The chirality of the [MnIII 9] core originates from the directional bridging of the Me-sao2- ligands via the -N-O- oximate moieties, which define a clockwise (1ΔΔ) or counter-clockwise (1ΛΛ) rotation in both the upper [MnIII 3] and lower [MnIII 6] subunits. Structural integrity and retention of chirality upon dissolution and upon deposition on (a) gold nanoparticles, 1@AuNPs, (b) transparent Au(111) surfaces, 1ΛΛ@t-Au(111); 1ΔΔ@t-Au(111), and (c) epitaxial Au(111) on mica surfaces, 1@e-Au(111), was confirmed by CD and IR spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, TEM, XPS, XAS, and AFM. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements demonstrate the simultaneous retention of SMM behaviour and optical activity, from the solid state, via dissolution, to the surface deposited species.

An Approach to Carbide-Centered Cluster Complexes.

We report the first examples of the carbide ligand in (Cy3P)2Cl2Ru≡C (RuC) developing into a µ3 ligand toward metal centers. Conventionally, sterics exclude this coordination mode, but Fe2(CO)9 and Co2(CO)8 expel bridging CO ligands upon reaction with RuC to form trimetallic (Cy3P)2Cl2Ru═CFe2(CO)8 (RuCFe2) and (Cy3P)2Cl2Ru═CCo2(CO)7 (RuCCo2) complexes. Thus, the proximity offered by metal-metal associations in bimetallic carbonyl complexes allows the formation of trinuclear carbide complexes as verified by NMR, Mössbauer, and X-ray spectroscopic techniques.