Magnetic Interactions as Supramolecular Function: Structure and Magnetic Properties of Hydrogen-Bridged Dinuclear Copper(II) Complexes

The self-complementary coordination unit [Cu(H2sabhea)]+ with a pentadentate amino alcohol as ligand enables the synthesis of the first triply hydrogen-bridged dinuclear copper(II) complex (see picture). Proton transfer allows the reversible transformation between this triply and the corresponding doubly hydrogen-bridged form. Despite the very short hydrogen bond found for the triply bridged complex, its exchange coupling constant is much smaller than that for the doubly bridged complex. H3sabhea=N-salicylidene-2-(bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino)ethyl amine.