Extremely Slow Thermally-Induced Spin Crossover in the Two-Dimensional Network [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2

Cooling [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2 (bbtr=1,4-di(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)butane) triggers very slow spin crossover below 80 K (T1/2 ↓ =76 K). The spin crossover (SCO) is accompanied by a hysteresis loop (T1/2 ↑ =89 K). In contrast to isostructural perchlorate analogue [Fe(bbtr)3 ](ClO4 )2 in which spin crossover during cooling is preceded by phase transition at TPT =126 K in tetrafluoroborate phase transition does not occur to the beginning of spin crossover (80 K). Studies of mixed crystals [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2(1-x) (ClO4 )2x (0.5≤x≤0.9) showed that a phase transition precedes spin crossover, however, for x≅0.46 intersection of T1/2 (x) and TPT (x) dependencies takes place. The application of pressure of 1 GPa shifts the spin crossover in [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2 to a temperature above 270 K. High-pressure studies of neat tetrafluoroborate and perchlorate, as well as mixed crystals [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2(1-x) (ClO4 )2x (0.1≤x≤0.9), revealed that at 295 K P1/2 value changes linearly with x indicating similar mechanism of spin crossover under elevated pressure in all systems under investigation. Variable pressure single crystal X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that in contrast to thermally induced spin crossover undergoing differently in tetrafluoroborate and perchlorate an application of high pressure removes this differentiation leading to a similar mechanism depending at first on start spin crossover and then P-3→P-1 phase transition occurs. In this report we have shown that 2D coordination polymer [Fe(bbtr)3 ](BF4 )2 (bbtr=1,4-di(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)butane) treated to date as spin crossover silent shows thermally induced spin crossover phenomenon. Spin crossover in tetrafluoroborate is extremely slow. Determination of the spin crossover curve required carrying measurement in the settle mode-cooling from 85 to 70 K took about 600 h (average velocity of change of temperature ca. 0.0004 K/min).

Hysteretic Spin Crossover with High Transition Temperatures in Two Cobalt(II) Complexes

Cooperative spin crossover transitions with thermal hysteresis loops are rarely observed in cobalt(II) complexes. Herein, two new mononuclear cobalt(II) complexes with hysteretic spin crossover at relatively high temperatures (from 320 to 400 K), namely, [Co(terpy-CH2OH)2]·X2 (terpy-CH2OH = 4'-(hydroxymethyl)-2,2';6',2″-terpyridine, X = SCN-(1) and SeCN- (2)), have been synthesized and characterized structurally and magnetically. Both compounds are mononuclear CoII complexes with two chelating terpy-CH2OH ligands. Magnetic measurements revealed the existence of the hysteretic SCO transitions for both complexes. For compound 1, a one-step transition with T1/2↑= 334.5 K was observed upon heating, while a two-step transition is observed upon cooling with T1/2↓(1) = 329.3 K and T1/2↓(2) = 324.1 K (at a temperature sweep rate of 5 K/min). As for compound 2, a hysteresis loop with a width of 5 K (T1/2↓ = 391.6 K and T1/2↑ = 396.6 K, at a sweep rate of 5 K/min) can be observed. Thanks to the absence of the crystallized lattice solvents, their single crystals are stable enough at high temperatures for the structure determination at both spin states, which reveals that the hysteretic SCO transitions in both complexes originate from the crystallographic phase transitions involving a thermally induced order-disorder transition of the dangling -CH2OH groups in the ligand. This work shows that the modification of the terpy ligand has an important effect on the magnetic properties of the resulting cobalt(II) complexes.

Hydrogen-Bonded Cobalt(II)-Organic Framework: Normal and Reverse Spin-Crossover Behaviours

A novel hydrogen-bonded metal-organic framework (H-MOF) [Co(HL)2](DMF)1.2(H2O)2.4 (1·solv), in which L = 2,2’:6’,2”-terpyridine-5,5’-diyl biscarboxylate, was prepared. An intermolecular single H-bond between carboxy and carboxylate sites was present in this compound....

Spin transition triggered by desorption of crystal solvents for a two-dimensional cobalt(ii) complex with hydrogen bonding

[Co(5tpybNOH)₂](BPh₄)₂ (1; 5tpybNOH = 5,5''-bis(N-tert-butyl hydroxylamino)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine) has a two-dimensional (2D) structure through a hydrogen bond between the NOH sites, as revealed by X-ray crystallography. The crystal solvents were desorbed above 300 K as shown by thermal analyses and powder X-ray crystallography. The removal of the crystal solvents allowed irreversible structural changes and a spin transition of the Co centre from S = 1/2 to 3/2.

Spin crossover phenomena in long chain alkylated complexes

This review presents a discussion of soft metal complexes with a focus on spin crossover behaviours that are associated with structural phase transition, including liquid crystal LC transition.

Thermochromic Meltable Materials with Reverse Spin Transition Controlled by Chemical Design

We report a series of meltable Fe^II complexes, which, depending on the length of aliphatic chains, display abrupt forward low-spin to high-spin transition or unprecedented melting-triggered reverse high-spin to low-spin transition on temperature rise. The reverse spin transition is perfectly reproducible on thermal cycling and the obtained materials are easily processable in the form of thin film owing to their soft-matter nature. We found that the discovered approach represents a potentially generalizable new avenue to control both the location in temperature and the direction of the spin transition in meltable compounds.

Two ways of spin crossover in an iron(ii) coordination polymer associated with conformational changes of a bridging ligand

Structural phase transition in [Fe(bbtre)₃](ClO₄)₂·2CH₃CN (bbtre = 1,4-di(1-ethyl-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)butane) plays the role of a switch, allowing spin crossover to be carried out in two ways.

“Normal” and “reverse” spin crossover induced by two different structural events in iron(ii) coordination polymer

Conformational changes of the bridging ligand and reorientation of the anions are associated with a sequence of HT(HS) ⇆ HT(HS/LS) ⇆ IP(HS) ⇆ LT(LS) transitions accompanied by existence of two hysteresis loops, “normal” and “reverse”, separated by a region of the stability of the HS form.

Abrupt spin transition in a modified-terpyridine cobalt(ii) complex with a highly-distorted [CoN6] core

The cobalt(ii) complex [Co(Naph-C2-terpy)₂](BF₂)₂ (1) incorporating a highly distorted [CoN₆] core was found to exhibit abrupt spin transition behavior, unlike solvated 1·2MeOH, which showed gradual spin crossover behavior.

Hysteretic spin crossover driven by anion conformational change

An air stable Fe^III complex showing a wide hysteresis near room temperature is described. The origin of the cooperativity is an unprecedented anion conformational change.

Surface induces different crystal structures in a room temperature switchable spin crossover compound

We investigated the influence of surfaces in the formation of different crystal structures of a spin crossover compound, namely [Fe(L)2] (LH: (2-(pyrazol-1-yl)-6-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine), which is a neutral compound thermally switchable around room temperature. We observed that the surface induces the formation of two different crystal structures, which exhibit opposite spin transitions, i.e. on heating them up to the transition temperature, one polymorph switches from high spin to low spin and the second polymorph switches irreversibly from low spin to high spin. We attributed this inversion to the presence of water molecules H-bonded to the complex tetrazolyl moieties in the crystals. Thin deposits were investigated by means of polarized optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and micro Raman spectroscopy; moreover the analysis of the Raman spectra and the interpretation of spin inversion were supported by DFT calculations.

Counter anion dependent gradual spin transition in a 1D cobalt(ii) coordination polymer

One Co(ii) SCO coordination polymer [Co(enbzpy)(μ_1,5-dca)]_n(PF₆)_n (1·PF₆) has been isolated and characterised structurally and magnetostructurally. Contrasting magnetic behavior of 1·PF₆ in comparison to 1·ClO₄ has been analysed in terms of structural factors.