LAUSR

Abstract The employment of a tridentate Schiff base ligand, 1-(((2-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-yl)imino)methyl)naphthalen-2-ol (H2L) in the coordination chemistry of cobalt(II) acetate and copper(II) acetate is reported. One cubane-like cluster of formula [Co4L4]·CH3OH (1·CH3OH) and one alkoxo-bridged dinuclear copper compound of composition [Cu2L2] (2) were achieved by the reactions of metal acetates with H2L under solvothermal conditions. The structures of 1·CH3OH and 2 have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Complex 1·CH3OH has a cubane-like {Co4O4} core with divalent metal atoms and alkoxo atoms (originated from the L2− ligands) occupying alternating vertices. The magnetic properties of 1·CH3OH and 2 have been investigated. The variable-temperature dc magnetic susceptibility studies indicate ferromagnetic CoII⋯CoII exchange interactions for 1·CH3OH and antiferromagnetic CuII⋯CuII couplings for 2. The ac magnetic susceptibility investigation reveals that complex 1·CH3OH shows the slow magnetic relaxation (SMM) behavior.