A Carbonate-Templated Decanuclear Mn Nanocage with Two Different Silsesquioxane Ligands.

The mild reaction of the preorganized silsesquioxane precursor with Mn(II) acetate under ambient conditions results in a mixed-valent {MnII6MnIII4} nanocage (SD/Mn10) which is protected by both acyclic trimer [Si3] and cyclic tetramer [Si4]. Serendipitous capture of atmospheric CO2 as a μ5-carbonate anion placed at the center supports the formation of the cluster. The magnetic analysis reveals the strong antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn ions. Moreover, the drop-casting film of SD/Mn10 shows photoelectric activity indicating its great potential as a semiconductor for photoelectric conversion applications.