Packing motifs and magneto-structural correlations in crystal structures of metallo-tetrakis(1,2,5-thiadiazole)porphyrazine series, MTTDPz (M=H2, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

Single crystals of tetrakis(thiadiazole)porphyrazine and the corresponding metal(II) derivatives, MTTDPz (M=H2, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) were grown by sublimation under reduced pressure with continuous N2 gas flow. Their structures, obtained by X-ray crystallographic analysis, depend significantly on the central metal ion, and the M=Ni and Cu derivatives exhibit polymorphism. They can be classified into three forms, alpha, beta, and gamma. The alpha form (M=H2, Ni, and Cu) is composed of two-dimensional hexagonal close packing formed by side-by-side contacts between thiadiazole rings, whereas the beta form (M=Fe, Co, and Zn) crystallizes into a one-dimensional coordination polymer. The gamma form (M=Ni and Cu) consists of a ladder structure caused by pi stacking, similar to the beta form of phthalocyanine, and by side-by-side contacts between thiadiazole rings. Although the crystal structures of the MTTDPz series exhibited multi-dimensional network structures, magnetic measurements revealed relatively weak exchange interactions, probably reflecting the long distances between the metal ions.