The absence of high intensity absorption bands in the nearinfrared (NIR) region in the spectrum of 9 provides yet another bit of crucial information on its electronic structure. Previous spectroscopic studies on metal-coordinated phenoxy radicals have established that these complexes exhibit an intense intra-ligand charge transfer (ILCT) band in this region of the spectrum. The fact that no such band was observed validates the formal description of 9 as a Mn(IV) complex, rather than a Mn(III)-phenoxy radical species.