The title dodecanuclear Mn complex, namely dodeca-μ(2)-acetato-κ(24)O:O'-tetraaquatetra-μ(2)-nitrato-κ(8)O:O'-tetra-μ(4)-oxido-octa-μ(3)-oxido-tetramanganese(IV)octamanganese(III) nitromethane tetrasolvate, [Mn(12)(CH(3)COO)(12)(NO(3))(4)O(12)(H(2)O)(4)]·4CH(3)NO(2), was synthesized by the reaction of Mn(2+) and Ce(4+) sources in nitromethane with an excess of acetic acid. This compound is distinct from the previously known single-molecule magnet [Mn(12)O(12)(O(2)CMe)(16)(H(2)O)(4)], synthesized by Lis [Acta Cryst. (1980), B36, 2042-2044]. It is the first Mn(12)-type molecule containing nitrate ligands to be directly synthesized without the use of a preformed cluster. Additionally, this molecule is distinct from all other known Mn(12) complexes due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the nitrate and water ligands, which give rise to a three-dimensional network. The complex is compared to other known Mn(12) molecules in terms of its structural parameters and symmetry.
Keywords: Mn12 molecule; cluster chemistry; crystal structure; in situ formation; manganese clusters; single-molecule magnets; three-dimensional network.