Mn(III) Hexafluoroacetylacetonate as an Oxidative Agent in the Synthesis of Heterobimetallic β-Diketonates

New synthetic approach for the preparation of heterometallic β-diketonates has been developed. Three manganese-containing diketonates, InMn(hfac)3 (1), CdMn2(hfac)6 (2), and Hg2Mn2(hfac)6 (3), have been isolated in quantitative yields by employing the solid state redox reaction of Mn(hfac)3 with transition and main group metals. The heterometallic molecules are built on Lewis acid–base interactions between diketonate oxygens of the [Mn(hfac)3]− groups and “naked” metal centers that appear in the form of In+, Cd2+, and Hg22+ cations. Compounds 1–3 have been shown to retain a heterometallic structure upon sublimation–deposition procedure as well as in solutions of non-coordinating solvents.