Crystal and electronic structures of Ni(II) silanethiolates containing flexible diamine ligands

Halogen-Dependent Diversity and Weak Interactions in the Heterometallic Ni/Cd Complex Solids: Structural and Theoretical Investigation

Three novel heterometallic Ni/Cd coordination compounds [Ni(en)3][CdCl4]∙3dmso (1), [Ni(en)2(dmf)2][CdBr4] (2), and [Ni(en)3]2[CdI4](I)2 (3) have been synthesized through the self-assembly process in a one-pot reaction of cadmium oxide, nickel salt (or nickel powder), NH4X (X = Cl, Br, I), and ethylenediamine in non-aqueous solvents dmso (for 1) or dmf (for 2 and 3). Formation of the one- (1) or three-dimensional (2 and 3) hydrogen-bonded frameworks has been observed depending on the nature of the [CdX4]2- counter-anion, as well as on the nature of the solvent. The electronic structures of [Ni(en)3]2+ and [Ni(en)2(dmf)2]2+ cations were studied at the DFT and CASSCF levels, including the ab initio ligand field theory (AILFT) calculations. The non-covalent intermolecular contacts between the cationic nickel and anionic cadmium blocks in the solid state were investigated by the QTAIM analysis. The mechanism of ligand substitution at the nickel center in [Ni(en)2(dmf)2]2+ was theoretically investigated at the ωB97X-D4/ma-def2-TZVP//DLPNO-CCSD(T)/ma-def2-TZVPP level. The results demonstrate that thermodynamic factors are structure-determining ones due to low energy barriers of the rotation of dmf ligands in [Ni(en)2(dmf)2]2+ (below 3 kcal mol-1) and the reversible transformation of [Ni(en)2(dmf)2]2+ into [Ni(en)3]2+ (below 20 kcal mol-1).

Interpretation of EPR and optical spectra of Ni(II) ions in crystalline lattices at ambient temperature

Many biologically important paramagnetic metal ions are characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to use as spin probes to investigate the structure and function of biomolecules. Though nickel(II) ions are an essential trace element and part of many biomolecules, the EPR properties are least understood. Herein, the EPR and optical absorption spectra measured at 300 K for Ni(II) ions diluted in two different diamagnetic hosts are investigated and reported. The EPR spectrum of a polycrystalline Ni/Mg(3-methylpyrazole)₆ (ClO₄ )₂ [Ni/MMPC] shows two transitions at X-band frequency (~9.5 GHz), suggesting the zero-field splitting parameter (D) is larger than the resonance field of the free electron (H_o ). This incomplete and complex spectrum is successfully analyzed to obtain EPR parameters. The EPR spectrum of the polycrystalline Ni/Zn(pyrazole)₆ (NO₃ )₂ [Ni/ZPN] shows a triplet spectrum indicating D < H_o . A detailed analysis of single-crystal EPR data yielded the spin Hamiltonian parameters. The optical absorption spectra are deconvoluted to understand the symmetry of the coordination environment in the complex.

Synthesis, Magnetic and High-Field EPR Investigation of Two Tetranuclear NiII-Based Complexes

Two tetranuclear compounds with a cubane-like structure were synthesized from a one-pot reaction between Ni^II and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione (Hdpm) for 1 or 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione (Hbta) for 2 in the presence of sodium methoxide. The crystal structures of both compounds have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and their magnetic properties have been studied by SQUID magnetometry as well as by high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) spectroscopy. For 1, the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility can be fitted by taking into account Ni···Ni ferromagnetic interactions, which leads to an S = 4 ground-state spin. For 2, both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions are present. However, the latter are dominant, which also leads to an S = 4 ground-state spin, in good agreement with the HFEPR study.

Magnetic Properties of a Dinuclear Nickel(II) Complex with 2,6-Bis[(2-hydroxyethyl)methylaminomethyl]-4-methylphenolate

Magnetic properties of dinuclear nickel(II) complex [Ni₂(sym-hmp)₂](BPh₄)₂·3.5DMF·0.5(2-PrOH) (1), where (sym-hmp)^- is 2,6-bis[(2-hydroxyethyl)methylaminomethyl]-4-methylphenolate anion and DMF indicates dimethylformamide, were investigated using high-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR). To magnetically characterize the mononuclear nickel(II) species forming the dimer, its two dinuclear zinc(II) analogues, [Zn₂(sym-hmp)₂](BPh₄)₂·3.5DMF·0.5(2-PrOH) (2) and [Zn₂(sym-hmp)₂](BPh₄)₂·2acetone·2H₂O (2'), were prepared. One of them (2') was structurally characterized by X-ray diffractometry and doped with 5% mol nickel(II) ions to prepare a mixed crystal 3. From the HFEPR results on complex 1 obtained at 40 K, the spin Hamiltonian parameters of the first excited spin state (S = 1) of the dimer were accurately determined as |D₁| = 9.99(2) cm^-1, |E₁| = 1.62(1) cm^-1, and g₁ = [2.25(1), 2.19(2), 2.27(2)], and for the second excited spin state (S = 2) at 150 K estimated as |D₂| ≈ 3.5 cm^-1. From these numbers, the single-ion zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameter of the Ni(II) ions forming the dimer was estimated as |D_Ni| ≈ 10-10.5 cm^-1. The HFEPR spectra of 3 yielded directly the single-ion parameters for D_Ni = +10.1 cm^-1, |E_Ni| = 3.1 cm^-1, and g_iso = 2.2. On the basis of the HFEPR results, the previously obtained magnetic data (Sakiyama, H.; Tone, K.; Yamasaki, M.; Mikuriya, M. Inorg. Chim. Acta 2011, 365, 183) were reanalyzed, and the isotropic interaction parameter between the Ni(II) ions was determined as J = -70 cm^-1 (H_ex = -J S_A·S_B). Finally, density functional theory calculations yielded the J value of -90 cm^-1 in a qualitative agreement with the experiment.