  Inelastic neutron scattering has been applied to the study of the spin
dynamics of Cr-based antiferromagnetic octanuclear rings where a finite total
spin of the ground state is obtained by substituting one Cr(III) ion (s = 3/2)
with Zn (s = 0), Mn (s = 5/2) or Ni (s = 1) di-cations. Energy and intensity
measurements for several intra-multiplet and inter-multiplet magnetic
excitations allow us to determine the spin wavefunctions of the investigated
clusters. Effects due to the mixing of different spin multiplets have been
considered. Such effects proved to be important to correctly reproduce the
energy and intensity of magnetic excitations in the neutron spectra. On the
contrary to what is observed for the parent homonuclear Cr8 ring, the symmetry
of the first excited spin states is such that anticrossing conditions with the
ground state can be realized in the presence of an external magnetic field.
Heterometallic Cr7M wheels are therefore good candidates for macroscopic
observations of quantum effects.
