G. V. Romanenko

High-Field EPR Reveals the Strongly Temperature-Dependent Exchange Interaction in “Breathing” Crystals Cu(hfac)2LR

In the overwhelming majority of the exchange-coupled clusters investigated in field of molecular magnetism, the exchange interaction is constant on temperature. “Breathing” crystals of composition Cu(hfac)2LR undergo temperature-induced reversible structural rearrangements accompanied by significant changes of the effective magnetic moment. Using high-field (W-band) EPR, we provide a solid proof of drastic temperature dependence of exchange interaction J(T) in these compounds that originates from temperature dependence of inter-spin distances. Strong dependence J(T) revealed by EPR makes Cu(hfac)2LR breathing crystals interesting and promising systems in the research toward creation of molecular-magnetic switches and related spin devices.

Intercluster Exchange Pathways in Polymer-Chain Molecular Magnets Cu(hfac)2LR Unveiled by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Polymer-chain complexes Cu(hfac)(2)L(R) represent an interesting type of molecular magnets exhibiting thermally induced and light-induced magnetic switching, in many respects similar to a spin crossover. In the majority of these compounds the polymer chain consists of alternating one- and three-spin units composed of copper(II) ions and nitronyl nitroxides. The principal one-dimensional structure of the complexes has previously been assumed to play a key role in the observed magnetic anomalies. Using Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we have reliably demonstrated that these complexes are indeed one-dimensional in the sense of the topology of their exchange channels; however, the magnetic chains spread across the structural polymer chains and consist solely of spin triads of nitroxide-copper(II)-nitroxide. Using four selected examples of complexes Cu(hfac)(2)L(R), we have found the exchange coupling values between spin triads of neighboring polymer chains to range from <1 to ca. 10 cm(-1). This conclusion could only be reached due to the selective probing of one- and three-spin units by EPR and correlates perfectly with both previous magnetic susceptibility data and quantum chemical calculations performed in this work. These findings give new insights into the cooperativity effects and mechanisms of magnetic anomalies in the Cu(hfac)(2)L(R) family of molecular magnets.

Nonclassical Spin Transitions

AbstractA family of heterospin polymer chain complexes Cu(hfac)2 with pyrazole-substituted nitronyl nitroxides (LR, where R = Me, Et, Pr) of the composition Cu(hfac)2LR was found. In the solid state the complexes undergo low-temperature structural rearrangements accompanied by magnetic effects analogous to spin-crossover. Polymer chains with a “head-to-head” or “head-to-tail” motif in Cu(hfac)2LR are formed as a result of the bridging coordination of LR through the imine N atom of pyrazole and one of the O atoms of the nitronyl nitroxide fragment. Despite the low-temperature structural phase transition, the single crystals retain the quality needed for an X-ray investigation, due to which the compounds may be studied at different temperatures and structural dynamics studies are possible. It was found that the major structural changes mainly occur in the coordination polyhedra, leading to phenomena analogous to spin-crossover. This rearrangement is possible due to the Jahn–Teller nature of the Cu(II) ion, which is responsible for the pulled octahedron structure of the coordination unit. The transition of the coordinated nitroxyl O atoms from the axial (dCu–O ∼ 2.2-2.4 Å) to equatorial (dCu–O ∼ 2.0 Å) position is accompanied by a transition of the exchange interaction in the Cu(II)–O•–N< exchange clusters from weak ferromagnetic (or weak antiferromagnetic) to strong anti-ferromagnetic, compensating the spins of the Cu(II) ion and the nitroxyl fragment. The motif of the polymer chain (“head-to-head” or “head-to-tail”) proved to be inessential to the occurrence of thermally induced spin transitions. In both cases, the shortening of the Cu–O distance in the Cu(II)–O•–N< exchange cluster decreases the effective magnetic moment of the complex by a factor of

First Example of a Reversible Single-Crystal-to-Single-Crystal Polymerization–Depolymerization Accompanied by a Magnetic Anomaly for a Transition-Metal Complex with an Organic Radical

\sqrt 2

Copper(II) complexes with imidazol-4-yl derivatives of 2-imidazoline nitroxides

, because spin compensation occurs in only half of all coordination units (Cu(hfac)2LPr, Cu(hfac)2LMe, and Cu2(hfac)4LMeLEt). The low-temperature structural rearrangement in Cu(hfac)2LEt is unusual; it leads to longer Cu–O distances in the Cu(II)–O•–N< exchange cluster and to an abrupt transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic exchange. At reduced temperatures, the unit cell volume decreased by 5-6% in all of the compounds. The cell parameters are large and so is the absolute value of the decrease (up to 400 Å3). The maximal decrease in the cell dimensions was observed in the directions of the chains and in the directions of the maximal shortening of the Cu...Cu distances. Minimal compression or even extension of the cell took place in the direction of lengthening of the Cu–Ohfac distances. The single crystals of Cu(hfac)2LEt and Cu(hfac)2LPr possess high mechanical stability in repeated cooling-heating cycles.

Synthesis and Temperature-Induced Structural Phase and Spin Transitions in Hexadecylboron-Capped Cobalt(II) Hexachloroclathrochelate and Its Diamagnetic Iron(II)-Encapsulating Analogue.

Reduction of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane with Zn in aqueous ethanol in the presence of NH4Cl affords 2,3-bis(hydroxylamino)-2,3-dimethylbutane together with 2,3-diamino-2,3-dimethylbutane and complex Zn salts. A modified procedure was developed for the synthesis of bishydroxylamine, which involves reduction in a Zn/NH4Cl/THF−H2O system.

Jumping Crystals: Oxygen-Evolving Metal-Nitroxide Complexes

The reaction of copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Cu(hfac)2] with the stable nitronyl nitroxide 2-(1-ethyl-3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (L(a)) resulted in a paired heterospin complex [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2]. The crystals of the compound were found to be capable of a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SC-SC) transformation initiated by the variation of temperature. At room temperature, the molecular structure of [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2] is formed by the alternating fragments of the pair complex. Cooling the crystals of the complex below 225 K caused considerable mutual displacements of adjacent molecules, which ended in a transformation of the molecular structure into a polymer chain structure. A reversible topotactic polymerization-depolymerization coordination reaction actually takes place in the solid during repeated cooling-heating cycles: [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2] ⇌ Cu(hfac)2(μ-O,N-L(a))]∞. Polymerization during cooling is the result of the anomalously great shortening of intermolecular distances (from 4.403 Å at 295 K to 2.460 Å at 150 K; Δd = 1.943 Å) between the terminal Cu atoms of the trinuclear fragments {[[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2]} and the noncoordinated N atoms of the pyrazole rings of the mononuclear {[Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2]} fragments. When the low-temperature phase was heated above 270 K, the polymer chain structure was destroyed and the compound was again converted to the pair molecular complex. The specifics of the given SC-SC transformation lies in the fact that the process is accompanied by a magnetic anomaly, because the intracrystalline displacements of molecules lead to a considerable change in the mutual orientation of the paramagnetic centers, which, in turn, causes modulation of the exchange interaction between the odd electrons of the Cu(2+) ion and nitroxide. On the temperature curve of χT, this shows itself as a hysteresis loop. The nontrivial character of the recorded spin transition during the cooling of the sample below 225 K lies in the fact that the magnetic moment abruptly increased. In contrast, heating the sample above 270 K led to a drastic decrease in χT. This behavior of χT is caused by a stepwise change in the character of the exchange interaction in the {>N-(•)O-Cu(2+)-O(•)-N<} fragments. The lengthening of distances between the paramagnetic centers on cooling below 225 K led to a transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic exchange and, vice versa, the shortening of distances between the paramagnetic centers during the heating of the heterospin polymer above 270 K led to a transition from ferromagnetic exchange to antiferromagnetic exchange.

A new method for the reduction of nitronyl nitroxides

Syntheses, structure, and magnetic properties of [Cu(hfac) 2 ] 2 L, Cu(hfac) 2 L, and [M(hfac) 2 ] 3 L 2 , where M = Mn, Co, are described. Special attention is paid to the unusual structure of the two polymorphs of Cu(hfac) 2 Land to the magnetic properties of [M(hfac) 2 ] 3 L 2 .0.5C 7 H 1 6 , for which a magnetic phase transition to the ferromagnetic state has been found.