Synthesis and characterization of triphenylmethylphosphonium transition metal salts

Triphenylmethylphosphonium salts, PPh3Me]aMXn (M=Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+, Ni2+ Fe3+ Pb2+ and Hg2+; X=Cl or I; a=1 or 2 and n=3 or 4) prepared by reacting PPh3MeX with the metal dihalide in EtOH sol-utions, have been characterized by electronic, Raman, far i.r. and Mo¨ssbaur spectra and by their magnetic properties as well as by elemental analyses. The copper complexes PPh3Me]2CuCl4 and PPh3Me]2Cu3Cl8 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and the structures are described. Powder diffraction patterns have shown that the cobalt and manganese tetrachloride complexes are isomorphous. Investigation by d.s.c. measurements showed that the complexes exhibit structural phase transitions.