Intermolecular interaction and magnetic coupling mechanism of a mixed-valence CuIICuI tetranuclear complex with iodide bridge

A tetranuclear Cu^ICu^II mixed oxidation state complex, [Cu^II ₂(μ-I)₂Cu^I ₂(μ-I)₂(phenP)₂I₂] (phenPE: 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline), has been prepared and its crystal structure is determined by X-ray crystallography. In the complex, Cu^II is a distorted square pyramid and Cu^I is a distorted trigonal planar coordination environment; Cu^II and Cu^I are bridged by iodide. It is rare to form a Cu^II-iodide bond and for Cu^II and Cu^I to be bridged by iodide. In the crystal, there is a slipped π–π stacking between adjacent Cu^II complexes, which resulted in the formation of the 1-D chain along the c axis. The fitting for the variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data gave magnetic coupling constant 2J?=??1.16?cm^?1 and it may be ascribed to the intermolecular π–π magnetic coupling pathway.