Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Stable Aqueous Suspensions of Manganese Ferrite Clusters with Tunable Nanoscale Dimension and Composition
Published on: February 5, 2022
A {Nb6 P2 W12 }-Based Hexameric Manganese Cluster with Single-Molecule Magnet Properties
Dongdi Zhang1, Fan Cao2, Pengtao Ma1
1Henan Key Laboratory of Polyoxometalate Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004 (P.R. China).
Abstract:
By deliberately using a metastable polyanion [(NbO2 )6 P2 W12 O56 ](12-) (1), which was formed in situ, we have discovered the unprecedented hexameric cluster {Mn15 (Nb6 P2 W12 O62 )6 } (2), in which the six polyanions [Nb6 P2 W12 O61 ](10-) are alternately connected by four intriguing trinuclear {Mn(III) 3 } moieties and four {Mn(II) } linkers. This discovery is the first in which the phosphoniobotungstate has been made accessible by using transition-metal ions; furthermore, polyanion 2 represents the largest niobotungstate cluster reported to date. Analysis by means of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) provides insight into the self-assembly process, and the peaks observed relate to the different charge states of the parent cluster, thus confirming the stability of 2. In addition, magnetic-susceptibility measurements reveal that each {Mn(III) 3 } subunit is a separate single-molecule magnet (SMM). This discovery results from the exploration of the reverse effect of metastable polyanion 1 possessing high reactivity, thereby turning a disadvantage into an advantage. This finding could define a new synthetic strategy for the design and synthesis of magnetic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters.
More Related Videos
07:42Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
Published on: July 20, 2022
06:53Author Spotlight: Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: June 9, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
Valence Bond Theory
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Ferromagnetism
Coordination Number and Geometry