Thin Films of Solvatomagnetic CN-Bridged Coordination Polymers: From Micro to Nanoscale

Two types of thin films differing in thickness and morphology of microporous CN-bridged hybrid organic-inorganic {[Ni-II(cyclam)](3)[M-III(CN)(6)](2)center dot nH(2)O}n (M = Cr or Fe, cyclam = 1,4,7,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) coordination networks are obtained by using physical and chemical deposition techniques. By adsorption on the PET/ITO substrate of the pre-formed nano-sized crystallites from water suspension, films of 1-2 mu m thickness composed of 40-200 nm size particles are obtained. The use of chemical sequential growth method, in which the coordination framework is anchored to the gold surface and built directly on the substrate from the cationic and anionic building blocks, reduces the film thickness to 100 nm and drastically improves film morphology. Both types of thin films show solvatomagnetic behavior characteristic for bulk compounds and change magnetic characteristics, including the shape of the magnetic hysteresis, under different humidity conditions.