Linear-chain antiferromagnetism in Ni(N2H5)2(SO4)2

The compound dihydrazinium bis(sulfato) niccolate(II), Ni(N₂H₅)₂(SO₄)₂, containing sulfato-bridged chains of Ni(II) ions, can be described as an antiferromagnetic Heisenberg linear-chain system. A reasonable agreement of susceptibility measurements in the temperature region 2–80K, with a theory developed by Weng for antiferromagnetic Heisenberg linear chains with spin S=1, is obtained for a value of the intra-chain interaction $\text{J}\text{k}\text{=?3.35K}$. Preliminary results of specific heat measurements, on the other hand, do not fit quite well using this model. The origin of this discrepancy is suggested to be a zero-field splitting of the single ion.