Syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of two new cyano-bridged bimetallic complexes

Two complexes [Fe(1,10-phen) 2 Ni(CN) 4 ] n ( 1 ), {[Fe 2 (1,10-phen) 4 (CN) 4 Co 2 (1,10-phen) 2 Fe(CN) 6 ]·2H 2 O} n ( 2 ) were prepared in the reaction of K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] as cyanometalate anions with different metal cations such as Co 2+ or Ni 2+ under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-phen). The X-ray crystallographic studies suggested that the two cations Fe 2+ and Ni 2+ are alternately bridged by the cyanide ligands to form a 1D zigzag chain with 1,10-phen terminal ligands in complex 1 . While the cyanide groups bridge Fe 2+ and Co 2+ ions form step-like chain constituted by pentanuclear structural unit [Fe 2 (1,10-phen) 4 (CN) 4 Co 2 (1,10-phen) 2 Fe(CN) 6 ] in complex 2 . It had been found that the structures of these complexes are metal ion dependent. The magnetic behavior of complexes 1 and 2 was studied and the nature of the magnetic interactions could not be adequately fit to several different models. Antiferromagnetic interactions appear to dominate in complex 1 , and complex 2 is complicated by the orbital contribution to the magnetic susceptibility from the anisotropic Co 2+ ion.