Efficient synthesis of manganese(ii) carboxylates: from a trinuclear cluster [Mn3(PhCO2)6(THF)4] to a unique [Mn(PhCO2)2]n chiral 3D networkElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures and details of the structural solutions, X-ray data for 1, 2, 3 and 4. CCDC 949071, 949072, 959486 and 959487. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c3dt53211a

An efficient synthetic procedure for obtaining manganese carboxylates including a trinuclear cluster [Mn 3 (PhCO 2 ) 6 (THF) 4 ] 2 and a unique [Mn(PhCO 2 ) 2 ] n chiral 3D network is reported. The procedure involves a simple redox process, in which acidic protons are reduced to gaseous hydrogen by oxidizing metallic manganese under solvothermal conditions. The reactivity of metallic manganese towards carboxylic acids was investigated and a novel general procedure for obtaining anhydrous manganese carboxylates was developed.