The work presented herein describes efforts to synthesize and characterize cyanide-bridged molecular compounds with high-spin ground states. This investigation focused primarily on the assembly of hexacyanometallate units with convergent cationic metal complexes that are coordinated to capping ligands. In this manner, a family of related compounds was developed that serve as models for understanding the role of magnetic exchange interactions and anisotropy in nanomagnetic materials. The work presented in Chapter II describes the successful incorporation of the [Fe(CN)6]3- building block into planar geometries with nuclearities ranging from three to ten metal centers. In Chapter III, this methodology was optimized to yield two pentanuclear FeIII/NiII clusters, namely, the trigonal bipyramidal unit, {[Ni(tmphen)2]3[Fe(CN)6]2}, and the extended square, {[Ni(bpy)2(H2O)][Ni(bpy)2]2-[Fe(CN)6]2}. Magnetic measurements on pure phases of these samples revealed that each system exhibits ferromagnetic coupling between the L.S. FeIII and NiII centers, but neither exhibits slow paramagnetic relaxation effects down to T=2K. In Chapter IV, this chemistry was extended to the [Mn(CN)6]3-building block in order to increase magnetic exchange coupling and anisotropy in this cluster type, efforts that resulted in the isolation of the molecule, {[Mn(tmphen)2]3[Mn(CN)6]2}. This cluster exhibits intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the Mn centers which lead to an S=11/2 ground state and a negative ZFS value (D=-0.348 cm-1), parameters that support the experimental observation of Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) behavior at low temperatures. A detailed investigation of the physical and structural properties of {[Co(tmphen)2]3[Fe(CN)6]2} in Chapters V and VI led to the realization that the cluster exhibits sensitivity to temperature and humidity. The molecule exists in three different electronic isomeric forms in the solid state and undergoes a charge-transfer induced spin-transition (CTIST) under the influence of temperature. The results presented in Chapter VI describe the behavior of this same cluster in solution, the highlight of which is the discovery that water reacts with the cluster to form a fourth electronic isomer. Finally, it is described in Chapter VII that this Co/Fe trigonal bipyramidal unit can be used as a building block for systematically incorporating three metal types into a family of 1-D chain and cluster compounds.

The work presented herein describes efforts to synthesize and characterize cyanide-bridged molecular compounds with high-spin ground states. This investigation focused primarily on the assembly of hexacyanometallate units with convergent cationic metal complexes that are coordinated to capping ligands. In this manner, a family of related compounds was developed that serve as models for understanding the role of magnetic exchange interactions and anisotropy in nanomagnetic materials. The work presented in Chapter II describes the successful incorporation of the [Fe(CN)6]3- building block into planar geometries with nuclearities ranging from three to ten metal centers. In Chapter III, this methodology was optimized to yield two pentanuclear FeIII/NiII clusters, namely, the trigonal bipyramidal unit, {[Ni(tmphen)2]3[Fe(CN)6]2}, and the extended square, {[Ni(bpy)2(H2O)][Ni(bpy)2]2-[Fe(CN)6]2}. Magnetic measurements on pure phases of these samples revealed that each system exhibits ferromagnetic coupling between the L.S. FeIII and NiII centers, but neither exhibits slow paramagnetic relaxation effects down to T=2K. In Chapter IV, this chemistry was extended to the [Mn(CN)6]3-building block in order to increase magnetic exchange coupling and anisotropy in this cluster type, efforts that resulted in the isolation of the molecule, {[Mn(tmphen)2]3[Mn(CN)6]2}. This cluster exhibits intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the Mn centers which lead to an S=11/2 ground state and a negative ZFS value (D=-0.348 cm-1), parameters that support the experimental observation of Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) behavior at low temperatures. A detailed investigation of the physical and structural properties of {[Co(tmphen)2]3[Fe(CN)6]2} in Chapters V and VI led to the realization that the cluster exhibits sensitivity to temperature and humidity. The molecule exists in three different electronic isomeric forms in the solid state and undergoes a charge-transfer induced spin-transition (CTIST) under the influence of temperature. The results presented in Chapter VI describe the behavior of this same cluster in solution, the highlight of which is the discovery that water reacts with the cluster to form a fourth electronic isomer. Finally, it is described in Chapter VII that this Co/Fe trigonal bipyramidal unit can be used as a building block for systematically incorporating three metal types into a family of 1-D chain and cluster compounds.

The presented thesis includes investigations to fully characterize the electronic structure and magnetic properties ofselected manganese containing high-spin molecules by means of various X-ray spectroscopic, magnetic and theoretical methods. The investigations on the Mn4 star-shaped molecule havelead to a number of interesting results. Magneto-chemical studies exhibit very weak exchange coupling constantsbetween the four Mn(II) ions, leading to complicated low lying states in which the ground state is not well separated, resulting from a dominant weak ferromagnetic coupling and a giant moment of up to 20 µB/f.u. XMCD measurements revealed that almost the completemagnetic moment is located around the Mn(II) ions.This is in agreement with only a few charge transfer states foundwithin the detailed X-ray absorption spectroscopic study. The electronic structure and detailed magnetic properties of the star-shaped heteronuclear CrIIIMnII3 complex have been precisely investigated.With XPS the homovalency of Mn and Cr have been verified. The XA-spectra of the manganese and chromium L edges were measured and compared to earlier investigated Mn4 spectra.The combination high-magnetic field magnetic measurements and element selective XMCD of Mn and Cr L edges and quantum model calculations lead to a complete analysis of the magnetic structure of the CrMn3 magnetic core. The III valence state of the manganese ions in MnIII6O2Salox has been verified. From X-ray diffraction, typical Jahn-Teller distorted oxygen octahedra have been found for Mn(III) ions. Comparisons of XPS and XAS spectra of the complex to corresponding spectraof maganite and tetranuclear manganese(II) cluster it was definitely possible to identify MnIII6O2Salox as a pure Mn(III) compound.