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Abstract

The synthesis, structural characterization, and electronic properties of a new series of high-spin six-coordinate dihalide mononuclear Mn-II complexes [Mn(tpa) X-2] (tpa) tris-2-picolylamine; X = I (1), Br (2), and Cl (3)) are reported. The analysis of the crystallographic data shows that in all investigated complexes the manganese ion lies in the center of a distorted octahedron with a cis configuration of the halides imposed by the tpa ligand. By a multifrequency high-field electron paramagnetic resonance investigation (95-285 GHz), the electronic properties of 1-3 were determined (D-I = -0.600, D-Br) = -0.360, D-Cl = +0.115 cm(-1)), revealing the important effect of (i) the nature of the halide and ( ii) the configuration (cis/trans) of the two halides on the magnitude of D. The spin Hamiltonian parameters obtained by density functional theory calculations initiated from the crystal structure of 1-3 are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. The absolute value of D is consistently overestimated, but the sign and the trend over the chemical series is well reproduced. Theoretical models (cis- and trans-[Mn(NH3)(4)X-2], X) I, Br, Cl and F) have been used to investigate the different contributions to D and also to understand the origin of the experimentally observed changes in D within the series reported here. This study reveals that the spin-spin coupling contributions to the D tensor are non-negligible for the lighter halides (F, Cl) but become insignificant for the heavier halides (I, Br). The four different types of excitations involved in the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) part of the D tensor contribute with comparable magnitudes and opposing signs. The general trend observed for halide MnII complexes (D-I > D Br > D Cl) can be explained by the fact that the halide SOC dominates the D value in these systems with a major contribution arising from interference between metal-and halide-SOC contributions, which are proportional to the product of the SOC constants of Mn and X.