Paramagnetic anisotropies and covalency of some tetrahedral copper(II) complexes

Abstract

The principal and average magnetic moments of six copper(II) complexes with stereochemistries ranging between tetrahedral and square planar are reported. The results are interpreted in terms of a ²D free-ion term perturbed by the crystal field and spin–orbit coupling and also of the covalent bonding in the compounds, by way of the orbital reduction factor. Very large and anisotropic reduction of orbital angular momentum is inferred in these systems and this may be related to both the crystal-field potential and to the degree of molecular orbital formation in these complexes.