A new mixed-valent copper–antimony sulfide: [H2NCH2CH2NH2]0.5[Cu2SbS3]

Abstract

A mixed-valent copper–antimony sulfide, [H₂NCH₂CH₂NH₂]_0.5[Cu₂SbS₃], has been solvothermally synthesized from binary metal sulfides in the presence of ethylenediamine and characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis and SQUID magnetometry. The structure of this material consists of chains of fused 5-membered rings of stoichiometry Cu₂SbS₃, linked into two-dimensional slabs of approximate thickness 5 Å. Neutral ethylenediamine molecules reside between the slabs, to which they are hydrogen bonded. Magnetic susceptibility data yield an effective magnetic moment per formula unit of 0.94(6) μ_B, consistent with the presence of copper-(I) and -(II) species in the metal sulfide framework.