Isomerism in heterometallic trinuclear complexes with salen type Schiff base ligands

Abstract

The use of neutral Cu-II and Ni-II complexes of salen type Schiff bases as metalloligand in the synthesis of heterometallic poly nuclear complexes are known since long but the potential of isomerization phenomenon in the resulted complexes has not been realized. A systematic study in the authors' laboratory for the last ten years revealed that the trinuclear heterometallic complexes can exist in different isomeric forms e.g. linear-bent isomers, linkage isomers, coordination position isomers, supramolecular isomers, polymorphs, etc. The focus of the present review is mainly on the syntheses, structural characterization and magnetic properties of these isomeric products.