An unprecedented asymmetric end-on azido-bridged copper(II) imino nitroxide complex: structure, magnetic properties, and density functional theory analysis

The dinuclear copper(II) complex [Cu2(mu(1,1)-N3)2(im-2py)2(N3)2] [im-2py = 2-(2-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolinyl-1-oxy] has been prepared and structurally characterized. The crystal structure consists of a dinuclear unit in which the Cu(II) ions are bridged by two azido ions in a end-on asymmetric fashion and the imino nitroxide radicals are chelating by the two imino N atoms. Accordingly, the magnetic susceptibility data were analyzed considering a linear spin-coupling scheme rad(1)-Cu(2)-Cu(3)-rad(4) (with Si = 1/2, i = 1-4), where the Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian assumes the general form -2Sigma(i)<(j)S(i)S(j). Considering only first-neighbor spin-coupling constants (J13 = J24 = J14 = 0), magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the copper(II) imino nitroxide rad-Cu-(Cu-rad)(rad-Cu)-Cu-rad exchange coupling is ferromagnetic and large (J12 = J34 = J1 > +190 cm(-1)), as is expected for copper imino nitroxide species, and the copper-copper (rad)-Cu-Cu-(rad) coupling through the asymmetric double end-on azide bridges appeared antiferromagnetic and rather large [J23 = J2 = -43(2) cm(-1)]. By contrast, a density functional theory analysis of the system through the computation of broken-symmetry-state energies resulted in J2 approximately 0 cm(-1). This apparent paradox is resolved by introducing a second-neighbor rad-(Cu)-Cu-(rad)(rad)-Cu-(Cu)-rad spin-coupling constant J13 = J24 = J3, which turns out to be antiferromagnetic both experimentally (when J2 is set equal to zero) and computationally.