The complexes[Cu
8(dpk·OH)
8(O
2CMe)
4](ClO
4)
4·9H
2O(
1)
and[Cu(dpk·H
2O)
2](O
2CMe)(ClO
4)·2H
2O(
2), wheredpk·H
2O is the hydrated,
gem-diol form ofdi-2-pyridyl ketone, have been prepared. Complex
1crystallizes intriclinic space group
P with the following unit celldimensions at 25
C:
a = 18.396(1) Å,
b= 16.720(1) Å,
c = 19.171(1) Å,
= 96.10(1)
,
=87.68(1)
,
= 99.14(1)
,
Z = 2.Crystal structure data for
2 at roomtemperature are as follows: monoclinic,
P2
1/
c,
a =13.000(2) Å,
b = 8.008(1) Å,
c =27.095(3) Å,
= 93.19(1)
,
Z = 4. The two centrosymmetrically relatedcubanes in the tetracation of
1 are doubly-bridged withtwo
syn,
anti acetate groups bridging twoCu
II atoms. The monoanion dpk·OH
-functions as a
1:
3:
1:
3lig
and.Three Cu
II atoms have distorted octahedralcoordination geometries with CuO
3N
3 andCuNO
5 chromophores,while the fourth Cu
II center displays a distorted squarepyramidal geometry; a terminal monodentate acetate isligated to this latter Cu
II atom. In the mononuclear[Cu(dpk·H
2O)
2]
2+ cationof
2, the four pyridyl nitrogens canbe viewed as strongly coordinating to the metal (Cu-N =2.013(4)-2.022(4) Å), while one of thehydroxyloxygens on each lig
and forms a weak bond to Cu
II (Cu-O= 2.417(4), 2.352(3) Å). Variable-temperaturemagneticsusceptibility studies on
1 are in line with both an overallantiferromagnetic interaction between Cu
II atoms
andthe magnetic behavior of a simple cubane. Exchange parameters,
J, derived by using a four-
J magneticmodel,are found to be
J1 = 6cm
-1,
J2 = -144cm
-1,
J3 = -14cm
-1,
J4 = 3cm
-1 and g = 2.29 (adjustableparameter)by least-squares fitting to the spin Hamiltonian
H =-2
i<jJijSi·
Sj.The thus derived energy level spectrumshows a
S = 1 ground state, further supported by thesolid-state
and solution EPR spectra of
1. Insightconcerningthe effect of structural parameters on the magnitude of the magneticexchange interactions was gained throughEHMO calculations performed on a model Cu(OR)
2Cumoiety. Accordingly, estimates of the
Jparameters,experimentally derived, were in close agreement both with knownmagneto-structural correlations establishedfor planar Cu(OR)
2Cu moieties
and a criterionestablished by us, holding for the magneto-structuralcorrelationsin symmetrical roof-shaped, alkoxo-bridged Cu(OR)
2Cumoieties.