Influence of the Coligand onto the Magnetic Anisotropy and the Magnetic Behavior of One-Dimensional Coordination Polymers

Synthesis and crystal structure of diiso-thio-cyanato-tetra-kis-(4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide)cobalt(II) and diiso-thio-cyanato-tris-(4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide)cobalt(II) showing two different metal coordination polyhedra

The reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide (C6H7NO) leads to the formation of two compounds, namely, tetra-kis-(4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide-κO)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II), [Co(NCS)2(C6H7NO)4] (1), and tris-(4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide-κO)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II), [Co(NCS)2(C6H7NO)3] (2). The asymmetric unit of 1 consists of one CoII cation located on a centre of inversion, as well as one thio-cyanate anion and two 4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide coligands in general positions. The CoII cations are octa-hedrally coordinated by two terminal N-bonding thio-cyanate anions in trans positions and four 4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide ligands. In the extended structure, these complexes are linked by C-H⋯O and C-H⋯S inter-actions. In compound 2, two crystallographically independent complexes are present, which occupy general positions. In each of these complexes, the CoII cations are coordinated in a trigonal-bipyramidal manner by two terminal N-bonding thio-cyanate anions in axial positions and by three 4-methyl-pyridine N-oxide ligands in equatorial positions. In the crystal, these complex mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯S inter-actions. For compound 2, a nonmerohedral twin refinement was performed. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) reveals that 2 was nearly obtained as a pure phase, which is not possible for compound 1. Differential thermoanalysis and thermogravimetry data (DTA-TG) show that compound 2 start to decompose at about 518 K.

Synthesis, crystal structure and thermal behavior of tetra-kis-(3-cyano-pyridine N-oxide-κO)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II), which shows strong pseudo-symmetry

The title compound, [Co(SCN)2(C6H4N2O)4], was prepared by the reaction of cobalt(II)thio-cyanate with 3-cyano-pyridine N-oxide in ethanol. In the crystal, the cobalt(II) cations are octa-hedrally coordinated by two terminal N-bonded thio-cyanate anions and four O-bonded 3-cyano-pyridine N-oxide coligands, forming discrete complexes that are located on centers of inversion, hence forming trans-CoN2O4 octa-hedra. The structure refinement was performed in the monoclinic space group P21/n, for which a potential lattice translation and new symmetry elements with a fit of 100% is suggested. The structure can easily be refined in the space group I2/m, where the complexes have 2/m symmetry. However, nearly all of the reflections that violate the centering are observed with significant intensity and the refinement in P21/n leads to significantly lower R(F) values (0.027 versus 0.033). Moreover, in I2/m much larger components of the anisotropic displacement parameters are observed and therefore, the crystal structure is presented in the primitive unit cell. IR investigations confirm that the anionic ligands are only terminally bonded and that the cyano group is not involved in the metal coordination. PXRD investigations show that a pure crystalline phase has been obtained and measurements using simultaneously thermogravimetry and differential thermoanalysis reveal that the compound decomposes in an exothermic reaction upon heating, without the formation of a coligand-deficient inter-mediate phase.

Weakening the Interchain Interactions in One Dimensional Cobalt(II) Coordination Polymers by Preventing Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding

The reaction of Co(NCS)₂ with N-methylaniline leads to the formation of [Co(NCS)₂(N-methylaniline)₂]_n (1), in which the cobalt(II) cations are octahedrally coordinated and linked into linear chains by pairs of thiocyanate anions. In contrast to [Co(NCS)₂(aniline)₂]_n (2) reported recently, in which the Co(NCS)₂ chains are linked by strong interchain N-H···S hydrogen bonding, such interactions are absent in 1. Computational studies reveal that the cobalt(II) ions in compound 1 show an easy-axis anisotropy that is lower than in 2, but with the direction of the easy axis being similar in both compounds. The high magnetic anisotropy is also confirmed by magnetic and FD-FT THz-EPR spectroscopy, which yield a consistent g_z value. These investigations prove that the intrachain interactions in 1 are slightly higher than in 2. Magnetic measurements reveal that the critical temperature for magnetic ordering in 1 is significantly lower than in 2, which indicates that the elimination of the hydrogen bonds leads to a weakening of the interchain interactions. This is finally proven by FD-FT THz-EPR experiments, which show that the interchain interaction energy in the N-methylaniline compound 1 is nine-fold smaller than in the aniline compound 2.

Magnetic Anisotropy and Relaxation of Pseudotetrahedral [N2 O2 ] Bis-Chelate Cobalt(II) Single-Ion Magnets Controlled by Dihedral Twist Through Solvomorphism

The methanol solvomorph 1 ⋅ 2MeOH of the cobalt(II) complex [Co(L^Sal,2-Ph )₂ ] (1) with the sterically demanding Schiff-base ligand 2-(([1,1'-biphenyl]-2-ylimino)methyl)phenol (HL^Sal,2-Ph ) shows the thus far largest dihedral twist distortion between the two chelate planes compared to an ideal pseudotetrahedral arrangement. The cobalt(II) ion in 1 ⋅ 2MeOH exhibits an easy-axis anisotropy leading to a spin-reversal barrier of 55.3 cm^-1 , which corresponds to an increase of about 17 % induced by the larger dihedral twist compared to the solvent-free complex 1. The magnetic relaxation for 1 ⋅ 2MeOH is significantly slower compared to 1. An in-depth frequency-domain Fourier-transform (FD-FT) THz-EPR study not only allowed the direct measurement of the magnetic transition between the two lowest Kramers doublets for the cobalt(II) complexes, but also revealed the presence of spin-phonon coupling. Interestingly, a similar dihedral twist correlation is also observed for a second pair of cobalt(II)-based solvomorphs, which could be benchmarked by FD-FT THz-EPR.

Synthesis, Structural, Magnetic and Computational Studies of A One-Dimensional Ferromagnetic Cu(II) Chain Assembled from a New Schiff Base Ligand

A new asymmetrically substituted ONOO Schiff base ligand N-(2′-hydroxy-1′-naphthylidene)-3-amino-2-naphthoic acid (nancH2) was prepared from the condensation of 2–hydroxy–1–naphthaldehyde and 3–amino–2–naphthoic acid. nancH2 reacts with Cu2(O2CMe)4·2H2O in the presence of Gd(O2CMe)3·6H2O to afford a uniform one-dimensional homometallic chain, [CuII(nanc)]n (1). The structure of 1 was elucidated via single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, which revealed that the Cu(II) ions adopt distorted square planar geometries and are coordinated in a tridentate manner by an [ONO] donor set from one nanc2− ligand and an O− of a bridging carboxylate group from a second ligand. The bridging carboxylato group of the nanc2− ligand adopts a syn, anti-η1:η1:μ conformation linking neighboring Cu(II) ions, forming a 1D chain. The magnetic susceptibility of 1 follows Curie–Weiss law in the range 45–300 K (C = 0.474(1) emu K mol-1, θ = +7.9(3) K), consistent with ferromagnetic interactions between S = ½ Cu(II) ions with g = 2.248. Subsequently, the data fit well to the 1D quantum Heisenberg ferromagnetic (QHFM) chain model with g = 2.271, and J = +12.3 K. DFT calculations, implementing the broken symmetry approach, were also carried out on a model dimeric unit extracted from the polymeric chain structure. The calculated exchange coupling via the carboxylate bridge (J = +13.8 K) is consistent with the observed ferromagnetic exchange between neighbouring Cu(II) centres.

Synthesis, crystal structure and thermal properties of bis-(aceto-nitrile-κN)bis-(3-bromo-pyridine-κN)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II)

Single crystals of the title compound, [Co(NCS)2(C5H4BrN)2(C2H3N)2], were obtained by the reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 3-bromo-pyridine in aceto-nitrile. The CoII cations lie on crystallographic inversion centers and are coordinated by two N-bonded thio-cyanate anions, two 3-bromo-pyridine and two aceto-nitrile ligands thereby forming slightly distorted CoN6 octa-hedra. In the crystal, these complexes are linked by C-H⋯S and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. In the direction of the crystallographic b-axis, the complexes are arranged into columns with neighboring 3-bromo-pyridine ligands stacked onto each other, indicating π-π inter-actions. The CN stretching vibration of the thio-cyanate anions is observed at 2066 cm-1, in agreement with the presence of only N-bonded anionic ligands. TG-DTA measurements reveal that in the first mass loss the aceto-nitrile ligands are removed and that in the second step, half of a 3-bromo-pyridine ligand is lost, leading to the formation of a polymeric compound with the composition [(Co(NCS)2)2(C5H4BrN)3] n already reported in the literature.

Synthesis, crystal structure and properties of catena-poly[[[bis-(3-methyl-pyridine-κN)nickel(II)]-di-μ-1,3-thio-cyanato] aceto-nitrile monosolvate]

In the crystal structure of the title compound, {[Ni(NCS)2(C6H7N)2]·CH3CN} n , the NiII cation is octa-hedrally coordinated by two N-bonding and two S-bonding thio-cyanate anions, as well as two 3-methyl-pyridine coligands, with the thio-cyanate S atoms and the 3-methyl-pyridine N atoms in cis-positions. The metal cations are linked by pairs of thio-cyanate anions into chains that, because of the cis-cis-trans coordination, are corrugated. These chains are arranged in such a way that channels are formed in which disordered aceto-nitrile solvate mol-ecules are located. This overall structural motif is very similar to that observed in Ni(NCS)2[4-(boc-amino)-pyridine]2·CH3CN reported in the literature. At room temperature, the title compound loses its solvent mol-ecules within a few hours, leading to a crystalline phase that is structurally related to that of the pristine material. If the ansolvate is stored in an aceto-nitrile atmosphere, the solvate is formed again. Single-crystal X-ray analysis at room-temperature proves that the crystals decompose immediately, presumably because of the loss of solvent mol-ecules, and from the reciprocal space plots it is obvious that this reaction, in contrast to that in Ni(NCS)2[4-(boc-amino)-pyridine]2·CH3CN, does not proceed via a topotactic reaction.

Co(NCS)2 Chain Compound with Alternating 5- and 6-Fold Coordination: Influence of Metal Coordination on the Magnetic Properties

The reaction of Co(NCS)₂ with 3-bromopyridine leads to the formation of discrete complexes [Co(NCS)₂(3-bromopyridine)₄] (1), [Co(NCS)₂(3-bromopyridine)₂(H₂O)₂] (2), and [Co(NCS)₂(3-bromopyridine)₂(MeOH)₂] (3) depending on the solvent. Thermogravimetric measurements on 2 and 3 show a transformation into [Co(NCS)₂(3-bromopyridine)₂]_n (4), which upon further heating is converted to [{Co(NCS)₂}₂(3-bromopyridine)₃]_n (5), whereas 1 transforms directly into 5 upon heating. Compound 5 can also be obtained from solution, which is not possible for 4. In 4 and 5, the cobalt(II) cations are linked by pairs of μ-1,3-bridging thiocyanate anions into chains. In compound 4, all cobalt(II) cations are octahedrally coordinated (OC-6), as is usually observed in such compounds, whereas in 5, a previously unkown alternating 5- and 6-fold coordination is observed, leading to vacant octahedral (vOC-5) and octahedral (OC-6) environments, respectively. In contrast to 4, the chains in 5 are very efficiently packed and linked by π···π stacking of the pyridine rings and interchain Co···Br interactions, which is the basis for the formation of this unusual chain. The spin chains in 4 demonstrate ferromagnetic intrachain exchange and much weaker interchain interactions, as is usually observed for such linear chain compounds. In contrast, compound 5 shows almost single-ion-like magnetic susceptibility, but the magnetic ordering temperature deduced from specific heat measurements is twice as high as that in 4, which might originate from π···π stacking and Co···Br interactions between neighboring chains. More importantly, unlike all linear Co(NCS)₂ chain compounds, a dominant antiferromagnetic exchange is observed for 5, which is explained by density functional theory calculations predicting an alternating ferro- and aniferromagnetic exchange within the chains. Theoretical calculations on the two different cobalt(II) ions present in 5 predict an easy-axis anisotropy that is much stronger for the octahedral cobalt(II) ion than for the one with the vacant octahedral coordination, with the magnetic axes of the two ions being canted by an angle of 84°. This almost orthogonal orientation of the easy axis of magnetization for the two cobalt(II) ions is the rationale for the observed non-Ising behavior of 5.

Relaxation processes in a single crystal of Co(NCS)2(4-methoxypyridine)2 spin chain

A single crystal of [Co(NCS)₂(4-methoxypyridine)₂]_n was obtained and investigated. The magnetic measurements performed along three perpendicular crystallographic directions are compared to the results obtained previously for a powder sample. The magnetic inter- and intrachain interactions do not differ, however, a change of the energy barrier of magnetic relaxations is obtained. For the single crystal sample the relaxation is much slower, which is attributed to the presence of longer chains, and show that below the ordering temperature the spin chains relax by the process that involves a single domain wall. Above the ordering temperature, a second relaxation process is observed, for which the relaxation time is temperature independent, indicating a negligible energy barrier. Such phenomenon was previously not observed for any of the powder samples of compounds from the [Co(NCS)₂(ligand)₂]_n family.

Synthesis, crystal structure and thermal properties of bis-(1,3-di-cyclo-hexyl-thio-urea-κS)bis(iso-thiocyanato-κN)cobalt(II)

Crystals of the title compound, [Co(NCS)2(C13H24N2S)2], were obtained by the reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 1,3-di-cyclo-hexyl-thio-urea in ethanol. Its crystal structure consists of discrete complexes that are located on twofold rotation axes, in which the CoII cations are tetra-hedrally coordinated by two terminal N-bonded thio-cyanate anions and two 1,3-di-cyclo-hexyl-thio-urea ligands. These complexes are linked via inter-molecular N-H⋯S and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonding into chains, which elongate in the b-axis direction. These chains are closely packed in a pseudo-hexa-gonal manner. The CN stretching vibration of the thio-cyanate anions located at 2038 cm-1 is in agreement with only terminal bonded anionic ligands linked to metal cations in a tetra-hedral coordination. TG-DTA measurements prove the decomposition of the compound at about 227°C. DSC measurements reveal a small endothermic signal before decomposition at about 174°C, which might correspond to melting.

Synthesis, crystal structure and thermal properties of poly[bis-[μ-3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine-κ2 N:N']bis(thio-cyanato-κN)manganese(II)]

The reaction of Mn(NCS)2 with a stoichiometric amount of 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine in ethanol led to the formation of the title compound, [Mn(NCS)2(C6H8N2)2] n , which is isotypic to its Zn, Co and Cd analogues. The manganese cation is located on a centre of inversion and is octa-hedrally coordinated in an all-trans configuration by two terminal N-bonded thio-cyanate anions as well as four 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine co-ligands, of which two coordinate with the pyridine N atom and two with the amino N atom. The 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine co-ligands connect the MnII cations into layers extending parallel to (10). These layers are further connected into a three-dimensional network by relatively strong inter-molecular N-H⋯S hydrogen bonding. Comparison of the experimental X-ray powder diffraction pattern with the calculated pattern on the basis of single-crystal data proves the formation of a pure crystalline phase. IR measurements showed the CN stretching vibration of the thio-cyanate anions at 2067 cm-1, which is in agreement with the presence of terminally N-bonded anionic ligands. TG-DTA measurements revealed that the title compound decomposes at about 500 K.

Synthesis, crystal structure and thermal properties of poly[bis-[μ2-3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine]-bis-(thio-cyanato)-cobalt(II)]

The reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine as coligand leads to the formation of crystals of the title compound, [Co(NCS)2(C6H8N2)2] n , that were characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In the crystal structure, the CoII cations are octa-hedrally coordinated by two terminal N-bonded thio-cyanate anions as well as two pyridine and two amino N atoms of four symmetry-equivalent 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine coligands with all pairs of equivalent atoms in a trans position. The CoII cations are linked by the 3-(amino-meth-yl)pyridine coligands into layers parallel to the ac plane. These layers are further linked by inter-molecular N-H⋯S hydrogen bonding into a three-dimensional network. The purity of the title compound was determined by X-ray powder diffraction and its thermal behavior was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry.

Crystal structure of bis-(tetra-methyl-thio-urea-κS)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)nickel(II)

In the course of our investigations regarding transition-metal thio-cyanates with thio-urea derivatives, the title compound, [Ni(NCS)2(C5H12N2S)2], was obtained. The asymmetric unit consists of one thio-cyanate anion and one tetra-methyl-thio-urea mol-ecule on general positions, as well as one NiII cation that is located on a twofold rotational axis. In this compound, discrete complexes are formed in which the NiII cations are surrounded by two trans-N-bonding thio-cyanate anions as well as two trans-S-bonding tetra-methyl-thio-urea mol-ecules within a distorted square-planar coordination geometry. The discrete complexes are linked by pairs of weak C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds between the thio-cyanate S and one of the tetra-methyl-thio-urea methyl hydrogen atoms into chains along the crystallographic a- and c-axis directions, which are combined into layers parallel to the ac plane. X-ray powder diffraction proves that a pure crystalline phase was obtained and measurements using thermogravimetry and differential thermoanalysis reveal that the compound decomposes at about 408 K, where all tetra-methyl-thio-urea mol-ecules are lost.

Thermodynamically metastable chain and stable layered Co(NCS)2 coordination polymers: thermodynamic relations and magnetic properties

Reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 4-bromopyridine leads to the formation of discrete complexes with the composition Co(NCS)2(4-bromopyridine)4·(CH3CN)0.67 (1), Co(NCS)2(4-bromopyridine)2(H2O)2 (2), Co(NCS)2(4-bromopyridine)2(CH3OH)2 (3) and Co(NCS)2(4-bromopyridine)2(CH3CN)2 (4). Upon heating compounds 2 and 4 transform into a crystalline product with the composition Co(NCS)2(4-bromopyridine)2 (5-I) that also can easily be obtained from solution. In this compound, the Co cations are linked by single μ-1,3-bridging thiocyanate anions into layers. Thermal decomposition of 3 leads to a second isomer (5-II), which is thermodynamically metastable and can also be synthesized from solution under kinetic control. In contrast to 5-I, the Co cations are linked by pairs of anionic ligands into linear chains. The magnetic exchange is very weak in 5-I, but much stronger and ferromagnetic along the linear chains in 5-II. AF ordering in 5-II is reached at 3.05 K, and magnetic relaxation is observed at the metamagnetic transition with an Arrhenius barrier of 17.1(3) cm-1. Ab initio computational studies reveal a different type of magnetic anisotropy to be present in the two crystallographically - independent Co centers in 5-II.

Crystal structure of bis-(N,N'-di-methyl-thio-urea-κS)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II)

During systematic investigations on the synthesis of coordination polymers with Co(NCS)2 involving different thio-urea derivatives as coligands, crystals of the title compound Co(NCS)2(N,N'-di-methyl-thio-urea)2, or [Co(C3H8N2S)2(NCS)2], were obtained. These crystals were non-merohedric twins and therefore, a twin refinement using data in HKLF-5 format was performed. In the crystal structure of this compound, the CoII cations are coordinated by two N-terminally bonded thio-cyanate anions as well as two S-bonding N,N'-di-methyl-thio-urea mol-ecules, forming two crystallographically independent discrete complexes each with a strongly distorted tetra-hedral geometry. An intricate network of inter-molecular N-H⋯S and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds can be found between the complexes. The thermogravimetric curve of the title compound shows two discrete steps in which all coligand mol-ecules have been emitted, which is also accompanied by partial decomposition of the cobalt thio-cyanate. If the measurement is stopped after the first mass loss, only broad reflections of CoS can be found in the XRPD pattern of the residue, which proves that this compound decomposes completely upon heating. However, at lower temperatures an endothermic signal can be found in the DTA and DSC curve, which corresponds to melting, as proven by thermomicroscopy.

Crystal structure of bis-(tetra-methyl-thio-urea-κS)bis(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II)

In the course of systematic investigations on the synthesis of Co(NCS)2 coordination compounds with different thio-urea ligands, the title compound, [Co(NCS)2(C5H12N2S)2], was obtained. In this compound the CoII cations are coordinated by two crystallographically independent N-bonded thio-cyanate anions and two tetra-methyl-thio-urea ligands into discrete complexes that are located in general positions and show a strongly distorted tetra-hedral geometry. Inter-molecular C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds of different strength can be observed between the discrete complexes, which are connected by pairs of hydrogen bonds into zigzag-like chains that elongate in the b-axis direction. These chains are additionally linked by strong C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds along the a-axis direction, resulting in the formation of layers that are parallel to the ab plane. There is also one weak intra-molecular C-H⋯S hydrogen bond between two neighbouring thio-urea ligands within the complexes. Comparison of the experimental PXRD pattern with that calculated from the single-crystal data prove that a pure phase has been obtained. Thermoanalytical investigations reveal that this compound melts at 364 K and decomposes upon further heating.