A MOLECULAR-BASED MAGNET WITH A FULLY INTERLOCKED 3-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE

A compound has been synthesized with the formula (rad)2Mn2[Cu(opba)]3( DMSO)2.2H2O, where rad+ is um)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3 -oxide, opba is orthophenylenebis(oxamato), and DMSO is dimethyl sulfo xide. It consists of two nearly perpendicular graphite-like networks w ith edge-sharing Mn(II)6Cu(II)6 hexagons. The two networks are fully i nterlocked with the same topological relationship as that between adja cent rings of a necklace. The compound has three kinds of spin carrier s: Mn(II) and Cu(II) ions, antiferromagnetically coupled through oxama to bridges, and rad+ radical cations, bridging the Cu(II) ions through the nitronyl nitroxide groups and forming Cu-rad chains. The temperat ure dependence of the magnetization reveals that below 22.5 K, the com pound behaves as a magnet.