One and two electron oxidation of the manganese(II) complex [L2Mn(hfac)2] {L = 4'',4'''-di-tert-butyl-2',2'',2'''trimethoxy-{4-(4'-diphenylaminophenyl)pyridine} were studied by ultra violet/ visible/ near infra red spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and magnetometry. A one-electron oxidation converts the triarylamine ligand to its radical cation and gives a complex in which the antiferromagnetic coupling between the spin on the ligand and that on the metal J/kb is -1.5 K. In a dilute frozen matrix and at low temperature this behaves as an S = 2 system. A two electron oxidation gives [L2Mn(hfac)2]2.+ which at low enough temperatures behaves as an S = 3/2 system but the spin-coupling between the metal and the ligand is weaker (J/kb = -0.3 K). The weakness of these spin-couplings mean that MnII/amminium radical cation complexes are not promising systems on which to base coordination polymer magnets. The equivalent copper(II) complex [L2Cu(hfac)2] was also investigated but this decomposes when an attempt is made to oxidise the ligand to its amminium radical cation
