Nitronyl nitroxide–metal complexes as metallo-ligands for the construction of hetero-tri-spin (2p–3d–4f) chains

A novel approach for the preparation of hetero-tri-spin magnetic compounds is described. It consists in using preformed metal-nitronyl nitroxide complexes as metallo-ligands in an assembling process involving an additional metal centre. This is illustrated by two unprecedented radical-Cu-Ln chain compounds (Ln = Gd(3+), Tb(3+)).