Abstract: Six novel pentanuclear complexes [Cu₃Ln₂(ClCH₂CO₂)₁₂(H₂O)₈]·2H₂O (Ln=La, Pr, Sm, Gd, Dy, or Er) were synthesized by the reaction of chloroacetic acid with Cu and Ln ions in aqueous solutions. The X ray crystallography established the structure of the Gd complex, which contains a pair of quadruply acetato bridged CuGd dinuclear subunits, and each of them is linked to the central Cu atom by a single acetato bridge. The coordination sphere of each Gd atom is completed by three aqua ligands [Gd-O=0.242 8(5)-0.244 4(4) nm] to form an 8 coordinated distorted square antiprism. The central Cu atom is coordinated by two oxygen atoms from the two bridging acetato groups and two oxygen atoms from the two monodentate acetato groups in a slightly distorted square planar fashion, while each terminal Cu atom is coordinated by the four acetato oxygen atoms at the basal plane and an aqua ligand at the apical position to form a square pyramid. The variable temperature (4 320 K) magnetic susceptibility data of the Gd complex were measured, and fitted to the Curie Weiss law with C =16.38 K cm³·mol^-1 and θ =-1.55 K, indicating very weak antiferromagnetic interaction.

Key words: Heterometallic complex, Copper(Ⅱ), Lanthanoid(Ⅲ), Antiferromagnetic interaction