Order and disorder in mixed metal linear chains: The homo and heterobimetallic EDTA (M(H2O)4OIOII)[M′(EDTA)] · 6H2O complexes (M = Mg,Mn, Co,Zn and Ni; M′ = Co,Ni, Cu and Zn)

Summary Polymetallic solid solutions of the ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) and six divalent metal ions exist in the range: MgMnCoZnNiCu(EDTA) · 6H₂O where + + + + + =2, 01, 0,,2, 0, 1.This type of structure is characterized by the presence of two different octahedral carboxylate-bridged coordination sites forming infinite zig-zag chains. Visible and i.r. spectra and t.g.a. analysis show that there is occupational preference for the two coordination sites in the crystalline structure.Due to this preference, and also to the structural features, the heterobimetallic MM(EDTA) · 6H₂O compounds constitute a structurally new class of materials which can be described as ordered alternating-heterobimetallic polymeric coordination complexes.