Rigid nitronyl-nitroxide-labelled anchoring molecules: syntheses, structural and magnetic investigations

The syntheses of two rigid organic molecular rods bearing a nitronyl-nitroxide radical and a terminal nitrogen-based functionality like a pyridine or a cyano group are reported. Both new paramagnetic molecules are fully characterized, including crystal structure analysis. Furthermore their magnetic behaviours in the crystalline state are investigated and their spin concentration corroborate their excellent purity. While the pyridine functionalized rod is synthesized by converting the corresponding benzaldehyde to the phenyl-nitronyl-nitroxide radical, the synthesis of the cyano functionalized rod demonstrates the accessibility of highly sophisticated spin-labelled molecules via cross-coupling reaction with a meta-iodo-phenyl-nitronyl-nitroxide moiety.