Mononuclear Fe(III) and tetranuclear [Fe(III)Gd(III)]2 complexes with a Schiff-base ligand derived from the o-vanillin: Synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties

The mononuclear high-spin iron(III) complexes [Fe(3-MeOsalpn)Cl(H 2 O)] ( 1 ) and [Fe(3-MeOsalpn)(NCS)(H 2 O)]·0.5CH 3 CN ( 2 ) and the tetranuclear oxo-bridged compound [{Fe(3-MeOsalpn)Gd(NO 3 ) 3 } 2 (μ-O)]·CH 3 CN ( 3 ) [3-MeOsalpn 2−  =  N , N ′-propylenebis(3-methoxysalicylideneiminate)] have been prepared and magneto-structurally characterised. The iron(III) ion in 1 and 2 is six-coordinated in a somewhat distorted octahedral surrounding with the two phenolate-oxygens and two imine-nitrogens from the Schiff-base building the equatorial plane and a water ( 1 and 2 ) and a chloro ( 1 )/thiocyanate-nitrogen ( 2 ) in the axial positions. The neutral mononuclear units of 1 and 2 are assemb…