The dimer potassiumdioxo(citrato)vanadate(IV)-6-water,K
4{VO[O
2CCH
2C(O)(CO
2)CH
2CO
2]}
2·6H
2O,wasprepared by the reaction of citric acid and metavanadate in a neutralsolution. The complex crystallizes in thespace group
P with unit cell parameters
a= 8.474(5) Å,
b = 8.902(7) Å,
c= 9.596(9) Å,
= 71.50(6)
,
=70.81(9)
,
= 87.45(2)
,
V = 647.1Å
3, and
Z = 1. The dimeric anioncontains a centrosymmetric planarfour-membered V
2O
2 ring with the bridgingoxygens derived from the hydroxyl groups. The configurationofthe anion is
anti-coplanar. A frozen solution EPRspectrum with zero-field splitting and 15 line hyperfinepatternson the parallel and perpendicular features characteristic of twoequivalent vanadium atoms confirms the presenceof a spin triplet. This is further supported by the presence ofhalf-field "forbidden transition" at
g 4. Abroadline with half-field forbidden transitions in the powder EPR spectra atX,Q-bands of the neat sample and atdifferent temperatures shows the presence of a spin triplet groundstate and a very weak intermolecular dipolarinteraction. From anisotropic exchange contributions to D themagnitude of the derived exchange integral
Jxy,x2-y2is 56 cm
-1. UV-visible, ESCA, andtheoretical BVS studies support the proposed molecular andelectronicstructure of the complex.