Di-μ-benzoato-di-μ-ethano-lato-tetra-kis-[μ(3)-5-(hy-droxy-meth-yl)-2-methyl-4-(oxidometh-yl)pyridin-1-ium-3-olato]tetra-kis-[μ(3)-5-(hy-droxy-meth-yl)-2-methyl-4-(oxidometh-yl)pyridin-3-olato]di-μ(3)-oxido-hepta-manganese(II,III) ethanol octa-solvate.

Our work in the area of synthesis of polynuclear manganese complexes and their magnetic properties led to the synthesis and crystallization of the title compound, [Mn(7)(C(8)H(9)NO(3))(4)(C(8)H(10)NO(3))(4)(C(2)H(5)O)(2)(C(7)H(5)O(2))(2)O(2)]·8C(2)H(5)OH. Herein, we report the molecular and crystal structure of the title compound, which was synthesized by the reaction of Mn(C(6)H(5)COO)(2) with pyridoxine (PNH(2), C(8)H(11)NO(3)) followed by the addition of tetra-methyl-ammonium hydroxide (TMAOH). The core of this centrosymmetric complex is a cage-like structure consisting of six Mn(III) ions and one Mn(II) ion bound together through Mn-O bonds. The compound crystallizes in hydrogen-bonded layers formed by O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds involving the aromatic amine group of the ligand PN(2-) with the neighboring O atoms from the PNH(-) ligand. The crystal structure has large voids present in which highly disordered solvent mol-ecules (ethanol) sit. A solvent mask was calculated and 181 electrons were found in a volume of 843†à (3) in one void per triclinic unit cell. This is consistent with the presence of seven ethanol mol-ecules per formula unit, which accounts for 182 electrons per unit cell. Additionally, one ethanol mol-ecule was found to be ordered in the crystal.