This dissertation presents the investigation of magnetic exchange and anisotropy in novel metal-organic complexes containing minimum number of magnetic ions. Such complexes can serve as a model system to understand the exciting magnetic phenomena in such class of materials and also can put forward as candidates for the so called molecular nanomagnets. A direct assessment of the effective magnetic moment and the effective interaction between the metal ions in the complex can be done using magnetization measurements. Here the magnetization studies are performed as a function of temperature and field using a SQUID magnetometer. Yet another powerful tool to characterize and determine the spin levels, the ESR spectroscopic methods, has also been exploited. The study of the dynamical properties of this class of materials was relevant to understand the relaxation mechanism in the low temperatures. For this a new ac susceptometer has been built in house which was another main objective of this dissertation work. The design, fabrication, calibration and automation done on this device is presented in this thesis. The device has been tested using the known molecular magnet Mn12 acetate, and the antiferromagnet Dy2PdSi3. The present work is mainly focused on the magnetic properties of Mn, Ni and Fe based organometallic complexes. The studied Mn dimer with different acceptor and donor ligands exhibit the fine tuning of the electron density at the core of molecular complex by variation in ligands. This in turn shows that the change in peripheral ligands can control the magnetism of the molecule. The influence of the change in Ni-S-Ni bond angle in the magnetic exchange interaction is studied in a Ni(2) dimer and a Ni(2) trimer complex. The Ni dimer complex shows a ferromagnetic interaction (J = -42K) whereas trimer shows an antiferromagnetic interaction (J = 140K). Another Ni based complex bridged via phosphorous has been studied which shows the existence of glassy nature at low temperature. Also a polymeric chain compound based on Fe is studied and presented. All these phosphorous or sulphur bridged complexes are novel materials and these are the first data on these complexes.

Plant roots are critical weathering agents in deep soils, yet the impact of resulting mineral transformations on the vast deep soil carbon (C) reservoir are largely unknown. Root-driven weathering of primary minerals may cause the formation of reactive secondary minerals, which protect mineral-organic associations (MOAs) for centuries or millennia. Conversely, root-driven weathering may also transform secondary minerals, potentially enhancing the bioavailability of C previously protected in MOAs. Here we examined the impact of root-driven weathering on MOAs and their capacity to store C over pedogenic time scales. I compared soil that experienced root-driven weathering, resulting in the formation of discrete rhizosphere zones in deep soil horizons (100-160 cm) of the Santa Cruz Marine Terrace chronosequence (65 ka-226 ka), with adjacent soil that experienced no root growth. Using a combination of radiocarbon, mass spectrometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray spectromicroscopy approaches, we characterized MOA transformations in relation to changes in C content, turnover and chemistry across four soils ranging in age (65 ka-226 ka). We found that the onset of root-driven weathering (65-90 ka) increased the amount of C associated with poorly crystalline iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) phases, particularly highly-disordered nano-goethite. The increase in C coincided with greater overall C concentrations, longer C residence times, and a greater abundance of microbially-derived C. Continued root-driven weathering (137-226 ka) did not significantly change the amount of C associated with crystalline Fe and Al phases, but resulted in a decline in the amount of C associated with poorly crystalline metal phases. This decline in C associated to poorly crystalline phases coincided with a decrease in C concentrations and potential turnover rates, and a shift toward plant-derived C. In contrast, soil not affected by root-driven weathering showed low amounts of C bound to poorly crystalline Fe and Al phases regardless of soil age and, correspondingly, lower C concentrations and estimated residence times. My results demonstrate that root-driven formation and disruption of poorly crystalline Fe and Al phases directly controls both C accrual and loss in deep soil. Hence root impacts on soil C storage are dependent on soil weathering stage, a consideration critical for predictions of the vulnerability of deep soil C to global change.

This dissertation presents the investigation of magnetic exchange and anisotropy in novel metal-organic complexes containing minimum number of magnetic ions. Such complexes can serve as a model system to understand the exciting magnetic phenomena in such class of materials and also can put forward as candidates for the so called molecular nanomagnets. A direct assessment of the effective magnetic moment and the effective interaction between the metal ions in the complex can be done using magnetization measurements. Here the magnetization studies are performed as a function of temperature and field using a SQUID magnetometer. Yet another powerful tool to characterize and determine the spin levels, the ESR spectroscopic methods, has also been exploited. The study of the dynamical properties of this class of materials was relevant to understand the relaxation mechanism in the low temperatures. For this a new ac susceptometer has been built in house which was another main objective of this dissertation work. The design, fabrication, calibration and automation done on this device is presented in this thesis. The device has been tested using the known molecular magnet Mn12 acetate, and the antiferromagnet Dy2PdSi3. The present work is mainly focused on the magnetic properties of Mn, Ni and Fe based organometallic complexes. The studied Mn dimer with different acceptor and donor ligands exhibit the fine tuning of the electron density at the core of molecular complex by variation in ligands. This in turn shows that the change in peripheral ligands can control the magnetism of the molecule. The influence of the change in Ni-S-Ni bond angle in the magnetic exchange interaction is studied in a Ni(2) dimer and a Ni(2) trimer complex. The Ni dimer complex shows a ferromagnetic interaction (J = -42K) whereas trimer shows an antiferromagnetic interaction (J = 140K). Another Ni based complex bridged via phosphorous has been studied which shows the existence of glassy nature at low temperature. Also a polymeric chain compound based on Fe is studied and presented. All these phosphorous or sulphur bridged complexes are novel materials and these are the first data on these complexes.

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