Synthesis and characterization of high nuclearity iron(III) phosphonate molecular clusters.

Three new phosphonic acid ligands (4- (t)butylphenyl phosphonic acid, 3,5-dimethylphenyl phosphonic acid, and diphenylmethylphosphonic acid) have been synthesized and employed in search of high molecularity iron(III) clusters. The cluster compounds are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. The solvothermal reaction of FeCl 3.6H 2O with diphenylacetic acid and p- (t)butylphenyl phosphonic acid resulted in an unprecedented dodecanuclear cluster [Fe 12(mu 2-O) 4(mu 3-O) 4(O 2CCHPh 2) 14(4- (t)buPhPO 3H) 6]( 1) having a double butterfly like core structure. [Fe 12(mu 2-O) 4(mu 3-O) 4(O 2CPh) 14(C 10H 17PO 3H) 6]( 2), another dodecanuclear cluster having core structure similar to 1, has been synthesized in a reaction between [Fe 3O(O 2CPh) 6(H 2O) 3]Cl and camphylphosphonic acid in the presence of triethylamine at ambient condition. 3,5-Dimethylphenyl phosphonic acid on reacting solvothermally with an oxo-centered iron triangle [Fe 3O(O 2CCMe 3) 6(H 2O) 3]Cl gives a nonanuclear cluster [Fe 9(mu 3-O) 4(O 3PPh(Me) 2) 3(O 2CCMe 3) 13]( 3) having icosahedral type core structure where three positions of the iron atoms have been replaced by phosphorus. Another nonanuclear [Fe 9(O) 3(OH) 3(O 3PCHPh 2) 6(O 2CCMe 3) 6(H 2O) 9] ( 4), having a distorted cylindrical core structure, has been synthesized in a similar solvothermal reaction between [Fe 3O(O 2CCMe 3) 6(H 2O) 3]Cl and biphenylmethyl phosphonic acid. All compounds are characterized by IR spectra, elemental analysis, as well as single crystal X-ray analysis. Magnetic measurements for all the compounds reveal that there are antiferromagnetic interactions between the metal centers.