Crystal structures of dimeric manganese(III) complexes of tetradentate Schiff-base ligands with ancillary axial donors

[N,N'-Ethylenebis(salicylideneaminato)]manganese(III) benzoate ([Mn(salen)( O2CC6H5)] crystallized to form a solid-state dimer in which the Mn(salen) m oiety is linked to its neighbor by two shared phenolate oxygen atoms, in st riking contrast to the linear polymeric structure formed with bridging acet ate ligands. A substantial cavity between the two manganese atoms was then produced by the weak coordination of the phenolate oxygen to the neighborin g manganese bearing benzoate in a monodentate mode. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien ce S.A. All rights reserved.