SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SYMMETRICAL AND UNSYMMETRIC OXO-BRIDGED TRINUCLEAR CHROMIUM BENZOATE COMPLEXES - CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF [CR3O(O2CPH)6(PY)3]CLO4

Techniques have been developed for the synthesis of complexes of the type [Cr3O(O2CR)6(L)3]+ where R = phenyl or tolyl and L = H2O or py in non-aqueous solvents. Additionally, the synthesis of an unsymmetric trinuclear complex, [Cr3O(O2CPh)6(OH)(py)2], is reported. These complexes have been characterized by a number of spectroscopic and magnetic techniques including X-ray crystallography, electronic and infrared spectrophotometry, NMR and EPR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and solution and solid state susceptibility measurements. [Cr3O(O2CPh)6(py)3]ClO4 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6BAR, which has a = 13.387(4), c = 19.186(6) angstrom and Z = 2. The structure was refined to give R = 7.6 and R(w) = 10.1.