Structure and magnetic properties of diaqua(4,4′-bipyridine) terbium(III) and the zinc(II) carboxylate dimer [TbZn(CHC(CH)COO)(bipy)(HO)]

A novel heteronuclear complex, [TbZnL(bipy)(HO)] (HL = -methylacrylic acid, bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine), was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and i.r. absorption spectra. Its structure, determined by X-ray diffraction, is a discrete octanuclear molecule, in which two Zn ions are linked by a bipy molecule and between Tb ions, or Tb and Zn ions are bridged by bidentate -methylacrylato groups. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of the complex shows strong ferromagnetic interaction between the terbium atoms.