Slow magnetic relaxation based on the anisotropic Ising-type magnetic coupling between the MoIII and MnII centers.

Three new complexes containing MnMoIII zigzag chains have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystal structure of complex 3 consists of two linkage isomers of the MoIIIMn chains, which correspond to 1 and 2, respectively. Both complex 1 and 3 show slow magnetic relaxation behavior with an energy barrier of Δ/kB = 69.5 K and 68.8 K, respectively, whereas complex 2 is a simple paramagnet. The linear apical MoIII-CN-MnII pairs provide the required magnetic anisotropy for the slow magnetic relaxation.