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A heterometallic single-source molecular precursor Li2Mn2(tbaoac)6 (1 , tbaoac = tert -butyl acetoacetato) has been specifically designed to achieve the lowest decomposition temperature and a clean conversion to mixed-metal oxides. The crystal structure of this tetranuclear molecule was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and the retention of heterometallic structure in solution and in the gas phase was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, respectively. Thermal decomposition of this precursor at the temperatures as low as 310 oC resulted in a new metastable oxide phase formulated as lithium-rich, oxygen-deficient spinel Li1.5Mn1.5O3.5. This formulation was supported by a comprehensive suite of techniques including thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, elemental analysis, inductively coupled mass spectrometry, iodometric titration, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies, and Rietveld refinement from powder X-ray diffraction data. Upon heating to about 400 oC, this new low-temperature phase disproportionates stoichiometrically, gradually converting to layered Li2MnO3 and spinel Li1+x Mn2-x O4 (x < 0.5). Further heating to 750 oC results in formation of thermodynamically stable Li2MnO3 and LiMn2O4 phases. 

The high nuclearity cubane-assembled Mn-oxo clusters serve as effective precursors for the preparation of monodispersed Mn₃O₄nanocrystals through the colloidal chemistry approach. 

Stepwise deprotonation of truxene with alkali metals affords truxenyl anions with different charges, exhibiting core curvature dependence on charge and metal binding. UV-vis and PL studies reveal charge-dependent optical properties, which is further supported by DFT calculations. 

The synthesis of a novel family of homoleptic COT-based heterotrimetallic self-assemblies bearing the formula [LnKCa(COT) 3 (THF) 3 ] (Ln( iii ) = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb) is reported followed by their X-ray crystallographic and magnetic characterization. All crystals conform to the monoclinic P 2 1 / c space group with a slight compression of the unit cell from 3396.4(2) Å 3 to 3373.2(4) Å 3 along the series. All complexes exhibit a triple-decker structure having the Ln( iii ) and K( i ) ions sandwiched by three COT 2− ligands with an end-bound {Ca 2+ (THF) 3 } moiety to form a non-linear (153.5°) arrangement of three different metals. The COT 2− ligands act in a η 8 -mode with respect to all metal centers. A detailed structural comparison of this unique set of heterotrimetallic complexes has revealed consistent trends along the series. From Gd to Yb, the Ln to ring-centroid distance decreases from 1.961(3) Å to 1.827(2) Å. In contrast, the separation of K( i ) and Ca( ii ) ions from the COT-centroid (2.443(3) and 1.914(3) Å, respectively) is not affected by the change of Ln( iii ) ions. The magnetic property investigation of the [LnKCa(COT) 3 (THF) 3 ] series (Ln( iii ) = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm) reveals that the Dy, Er, and Tm complexes display slow relaxation of their magnetization, in other words, single-molecule magnet (SMM) properties. This behaviour is dominated by thermally activated (Orbach-like) and quantum tunneling processes for [DyKCa(COT) 3 (THF) 3 ] in contrast to [ErKCa(COT) 3 (THF) 3 ], in which the thermally activated and Raman processes appear to be relevant. Details of the electronic structures and magnetic properties of these complexes are further clarified with the help of DFT and ab initio theoretical calculations.