C(sp(2))-coupled nitronyl nitroxide and iminonitroxide diradicals

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Trinuclear Copper(II) Complex Based on P-Cresol-Substituted Bis(α-Nitronyl Nitroxide) Biradical

Trinuclear copper(II) complex [Cu^II₃(NIT₂PhO)₂Cl₄] was synthesized with p-cresol-substituted bis(α-nitronyl nitroxide) biradical: 4-methyl-2,6-bis(1-oxyl-3-oxido-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazolin-2-yl)phenol (NIT₂PhOH). The crystal structure of this heterospin complex was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and exhibits four unusual seven-membered metallocycles formed from the coordination of oxygen atoms of the N-O groups and of bridging phenoxo (µ-PhO⁻) moieties with copper(II) ions. The crystal structure analysis reveals an incipient agostic interaction between a square planar copper center and a hydrogen-carbon bond from one methyl group carried on the coordinated nitronyl-nitroxide radical. The intramolecular Cu∙∙∙H-C interaction involves a six-membered metallocycle and may stabilize the copper center in square planar coordination mode. From the magnetic susceptibility measurements, the complex, which totals seven S = 1/2 spin carriers, has almost a ground state spin S = 1/2 at room temperature ascribed to strong antiferromagnetic interaction between the nitronyl nitroxide moieties and the copper(II) centers and in between the copper(II) centers through the bridging phenoxo oxygen atom.

A black-box approach to the construction of metal-radical multispin systems and analysis of their magnetic properties

An interaction of M(hfac)2 (M = Mn or Ni) with N-(bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxido-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methylene)-2-methyl-propan-2-amine oxide (a nitronyl nitroxide diradical with the >C[double bond, length as m-dash]N(O)-tert-Bu coupler) was investigated under various conditions. It was found that prolongation of reaction time caused transformation of the initial diradical into new diradicals with the unique >C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH coupling unit and formation of binuclear Mn(ii) and Ni(ii) complexes, which were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The resulting binuclear heterospin complexes have a complicated magnetic structure with six paramagnetic centers and a number of exchange interaction channels between them, as well as between neighboring complexes. To adequately describe the magnetic properties of these complexes, high-level ab initio calculations of their electronic structure and parameters of the spin-Hamiltonian were carried out. The accuracy of the conventional broken-symmetry density functional theory approach in the calculation of the exchange interaction parameters was also verified.

Carbene derived diradicaloids - building blocks for singlet fission?

Organic singlet diradicaloids promise application in non-linear optics, electronic devices and singlet fission. The stabilization of carbon allotropes/cumulenes (C1, C2, C4) by carbenes has been equally an area of high activity. Combining these fields, we showed recently that carbene scaffolds allow as well for the design of diradicaloids. Herein, we report a comprehensive computational investigation (CASSCF/NEVPT2; fractional occupation DFT) on the electronic properties of carbene-bridge-carbene type diradicaloids. We delineate how to adjust the properties of these ensembles through the choice of carbene and bridge and show that already a short C2 bridge results in remarkable diradicaloid character. The choice of the carbene separately tunes the energies of the S1 and T1 excited states, whereas the bridge adjusts the overall energy level of the excited states. Accordingly, we develop guidelines on how to tailor the electronic properties of these molecules. Of particular note, fractional occupation DFT is an excellent tool to predict singlet-triplet gaps.

(Azulene-1,3-diyl)-bis(nitronyl nitroxide) and (Azulene-1,3-diyl)-bis(iminonitroxide) and Their Copper Complexes

In contrast to diradicals connected by alternant hydrocarbons, only a few studies on those connected by nonalternant hydrocarbons have been reported. The syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties of azulene-1,3-diyl linked bis(nitronyl nitroxide) (NN₂ Az) and bis(iminonitroxide) (IN₂ Az) diradicals and their Cu(hfac)₂ (hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate) complexes were investigated. NN₂ Az was shown to have an intramolecular ferromagnetic interaction with J_obs /k_B =+10.0 K (H=-2JS₁ ⋅S₂ ) between (nitronyl nitroxide) spins, whereas IN₂ Az was estimated to have a much weaker intramolecular magnetic interaction. The reactions of NN₂ Az and IN₂ Az with Cu(hfac)₂ gave a 1:2 [{Cu(hfac)₂ }₂ (NN₂ Az)] complex and a 1:1 [Cu(hfac)₂ (IN₂ Az)]⋅C₆ H₁₂ complex, respectively. [{Cu(hfac)₂ }₂ (NN₂ Az)] showed strong intramolecular antiferromagnetic interactions (J_1-Cu-R /k_B ≈-800 K, J_2-Cu-R /k_B ≈-500 K) between the Cu^II spins and the coordinating NN spins, whereas [Cu(hfac)₂ (IN₂ Az)] exhibited a ferromagnetic exchange interaction (J_obs-Cu-R /k_B =+114 K) between the Cu^II spin and the imino-coordinated iminonitroxide spin.

The Design of Radical Stacks: Nitronyl-Nitroxide-Substituted Heteropentacenes

The first alkyl chain-anchored heteropentacene, dithieno[2,3-d;2',3'-d']benzo-[1,2-b;3,4-b']dithiophene (DTmBDT), mono- or disubstituted with a nitronyl nitroxide group has been prepared through a cross-coupling synthetic procedure of the corresponding dibromo-derivative (Br2-DTmBDT) with a nitronyl nitroxide-2-ide gold(I) complex. The synthesized nitroxides possess high kinetic stability, which allowed us to investigate their structure and thermal, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of both mono- and diradicals revealed that the nitronyl nitroxide group lies almost in the same plane as the nearest side thiophene ring. Such arrangement favors formation of edge-to-edge dimers, which then form close π-stacks surrounded by interdigitating alkyl chains. Before melting, these nitronyl nitroxide radical substituted molecules undergo at least two different phase transitions (PTs): for the monoradical, PTs are reversible, accompanied by hysteresis, and occur near 13 and 83 °C; the diradical upon heating shows a reversible PT with hysteresis in the temperature range 2-11 °C and an irreversible PT near 135 °C. PTs of this type are absent in Br2-DTmBDT. Therefore, the step-by-step substitution of bromine atoms by nitronyl nitroxide groups changes the structural organization of DTmBDT and induces the emergence of PTs. This knowledge may facilitate crystal engineering of π-stacked paramagnets and related molecular spin devices.