Synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of single and double cyanide-bridged bimetallic Fe2(III)Cu(II) zigzag chains

The bimetallic complexes [[Fe(III)(phen)(CN)4]2Cu(II)(H2O)2].4H2O (1), [[Fe(III)(phen)(CN)4]2Cu(II)].H2O (2) and [[Fe(III)(bipy)(CN)4]2Cu(II)].2H2O (3) and [[Fe(III)(bipy)(CN)4]2Cu(II)(H2O)2].4H2O (4) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) have been prepared and the structures of 1-3 determined by X-ray diffraction. The structure of 1 is made up of neutral cyanide-bridged Fe(III)-Cu(II) zigzag chains of formula [[Fe(III)(phen)(CN)4]2Cu(II)(H2O)2] and uncoordinated water molecules with the [Fe(phen)(CN)4]- entity acting as a bis-monodentate bridging ligand toward two trans-diaquacopper(II) units through two of its four cyanide groups in cis positions. The structure of 2 can be viewed as the condensation of two chains of 1 connected through single cyanide-bridged Fe(III)-Cu(II) pairs after removal of the two axially coordinated water molecules of the copper atom. The structure of 3 is like that of 2, the main differences being the occurrence of bipy (phen in 2) and two (one in 2) crystallization water molecules. The crystals of 4 diffract poorly but the analysis of the limited set of diffraction data shows a chain structure like that of 1 the most important difference being the fact that elongation axis at the copper atom is defined by the two trans coordinated water molecules. 1 behaves as a ferromagnetic Fe(III)2Cu(II) trinuclear system. A metamagnetic-like behavior is observed for 2 and 3, the value of the critical field (Hc) being ca. 1100 (2) and 900 Oe (3). For H > Hc the ferromagnetic Fe(III)2Cu(II) chains exhibit frequency dependence of the out-of-phase ac susceptibility signal at T < 4.0 K. The magnetic behavior of 4 corresponds to that of a ferromagnetically coupled chain of low spin iron(III) and copper(II) ions with frequency dependence of the out-of-phase susceptibility at T < 3.0 K. Theoretical calculations using methods based on density functional theory (DFT) have been employed to analyze and substantiate the exchange pathways in this family of complexes.