Metal‐Organic Niccolite: Synthesis,Structures, Phase Transition,and Magnetic Properties of [CH3NH2(CH2)2NH2CH3][M2(HCOO)6] (M=divalent Mn,Fe, Co,Ni, Cu and Zn)

We report the synthesis, crystal structures, thermal and magnetic characterizations of a family of metal‐organic frameworks adopting the niccolite (NiAs) structure, [dmenH₂²⁺][M₂(HCOO)₆²⁻] (dmen=N,N′‐dimethylethylenediamine; M=divalent Mn, 1Mn ; Fe, 2Fe ; Co, 3Co ; Ni, 4Ni ; Cu, 5Cu ; and Zn, 6Zn ). The compounds could be synthesized by either a diffusion method or directly mixing reactants in methanol or methanol–water mixed solvents. The five members, 1Mn , 2Fe , 3Co , 4Ni , and 6Zn are isostructural and crystallize in the trigonal space group P 1c, while 5Cu crystallizes in C2/c. In the structures, the octahedrally coordinated metal ions are connected by anti–anti formate bridges, thus forming the anionic NiAs‐type frameworks of [M₂(HCOO)₆²⁻], with dmenH₂²⁺ located in the cavities of the frameworks. Owing to the Jahn–Teller effect of the Cu²⁺ ion, the 3D framework of 5Cu consists of zigzag Cu‐formate chains with Cu OCHO Cu connections through short basal Cu O bonds, further linked by the long axial Cu O bonds. 6Zn exhibits a phase transition probably as a result of the order–disorder transition of the dmenH₂²⁺ cation around 300 K, confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and single crystal X‐ray diffraction patterns under different temperatures. Magnetic investigation reveals that the four magnetic members, 1Mn , 2Fe , 3Co , and 4Ni , display spin‐canted antiferromagnetism, with a Néel temperature of 8.6 K, 19.8 K, 16.4 K, and 33.7 K, respectively. The Mn, Fe, and Ni members show spin‐flop transitions below 50 kOe. 2Fe possesses a large hysteresis loop with a large coercive field of 10.8 kOe. The Cu member, 5Cu , shows overall antiferromagnetism (both inter‐ and intra‐chains) with low‐dimensional characteristics.