Transition metal complexes of 2-amino-3-chloro-5-trifluoromethylpyridine: syntheses,structures, and magnetic properties of [(TMCAPH)2CuBr4] and [(TMCAPH)2CuCl4]

The reaction of CuX₂ (X = Br or Cl) with 2-amino-3-chloro-5-trifluoromethylpyridine in aqueous acids (HX; X = Br or Cl) yields bis(2-amino-3-chloro-5-trifluoromethylpyridinium)tetrabromocuprate(II) (1) and bis(2-amino-3-chloro-5-trifluoromethylpyridinium)tetrachlorocuprate(II) (2). These compounds have been characterized by IR, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), single crystal XRD, combustion analysis, and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with three ions in the asymmetric unit, whereas 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1, and the asymmetric unit contains 18 ionic moieties. Both compounds exhibit antiferromagnetic exchange via the double halide exchange pathway and singlet ground states, with stronger exchange observed for 1. Both compounds exhibit multiple potential magnetic exchange pathways, but fitting of the data to available analytical models suggests that the magnetic exchange constants 2J/k _B are ～50 K in 1 and ～6 K in 2, respectively.