[Fe(OCH3 )2 (dbm)]12 (on the left in the picture), which contains the largest cyclic ferric cluster yet reported with chemically equivalent bridging units. It is made up of twelve high-spin, antiferromagnetically coupled iron(III) centers and neatly reacts with NaI or LiI templates in organic solution to give hexairon(III) coronates (right). Fe=•, O=○, NaI or LiI=• Hdbm=dibenzoylmethane.
Abstract A novel iron(III) molecular alkoxide, [Fe(OCH3)2(dbm)]12 (1), was synthesized by the reaction of ferric chloride with dibenzoylmethane (Hdbm) and an excess of either potassium or cesium methylate in anhydrous methanol. The 12 octahedrally coordinated iron(III) ions are linked by double OCH3 bridges in a nonplanar twisted-ring structure, to give the largest cyclic ferric cluster so far reported