Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Novel CuIINdIII Heterodinuclear Schiff Base Complex

The crystal structure of L’Cu(Me2CO)Nd(NO3)3 (L’ = N,N’-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-ethylenediamine) was determined and the magnetic properties of the complex were investigated. (C18H18N2O4)Cu(C3H6O)Nd(NO3)3, monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a = 9.8792(9), b = 18.904(4), c = 15.667(2) Å, β = 95.360(10)◦ , V = 2913.1(8) Å3, Z = 4. The central region of the complex is occupied by CuII and NdIII ions which are bridged by two phenolato oxygen atoms of the ligand. The copper ion adopts a square-based 4+1 coordination made, the basal N2O2 donors being afforded by the ligand while the axial position is occupied by the oxygen atom of the acetone molecule. The NdIII ion is deca-coordinated. In addition to the two phenolate oxygen atoms, the coordination sphere contains two oxygen atoms of the OMe side arms of L and six oxygen atoms from the three bidentate nitrate ions. The Cu· · ·Nd separation is 3.466(2) Å. The χT versus T plots, χ being the molar magnetic susceptibility per CuIINdIII unit and T the temperature, has been measured in the 4.5 – 299.6 K temperature range. The magnetic properties of the investigated compound are dominated by the crystal field effect on the NdIII site, masking the magnetic interaction between the paramagnetic centers.