[Mn4(hmp)6(CH3CN)2(H2O)4]4+: A new single-molecule magnet with the highest blocking temperature in the Mn4/hmp family of compounds

A new MnIII/MnII tetranuclear complex, [Mn4(hmp)6(CH3CN)2(H2O)4](ClO4)4 · 2CH3CN (1) has been synthesized from the reaction of 2-hydroxymethylpyridine (Hhmp) with Mn(ClO4)2 · 6H2O in the presence of tetraethylammonium hydroxide. Structural characterization of 1 by X-ray diffraction on single crystal shows that Mn ions are arranged in a double-cuboidal fashion where Mn2+ are hepta-coordinated and Mn3+ centers hexa-coordinated. Magnetic properties have been studied and reveal that 1 behaves as a Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) appearing at the highest temperature known in the Mn4/hmp family.