New isomeric Ni(NCS)2 coordination compounds: crystal structures, magnetic properties as well as ex situ and in situ investigations on their synthesis and transition behaviour†
Abstract
The reaction of Ni(NCS)2 with 3-ethylpyridine in water leads to the formation of two known modifications of Ni(NCS)2(3-ethylpyridine)4 (1-I and 1-II) as well as of Ni(NCS)2(3-ethylpyridine)2(H2O)2 (2) that consist of discrete complexes. If the synthesis is performed in ethyl acetate, the new compound [Ni(NCS)2(3-ethylpyridine)2]n (3-lc) formed that comprises linear and corrugated Ni(NCS)2 chains in one crystal. By changing the solvent to dichloromethane, a solvate of compound 3 is obtained that consists exclusively of corrugated chains (3c-CH2Cl2). 3c-CH2Cl2 is unstable and transforms immediately into 3-lc. Upon heating the precursor complexes 1-I, 1-II and 2, the 3-ethylpyridine ligands are removed in two steps leading to a mixture of 3-lc and an additional isomer of 3 (3-l) in the first step that decomposes upon further heating into a compound with the composition [Ni(NCS)2(3-ethylpyridine)]n (4). Ex and in situ XRPD measurements reveal that a mixture of two modifications (4-I and 4-II) is always formed, preventing their structure determination by XRPD. Time dependent investigations in solution prove that 3-l is formed under kinetic control and transforms into 3-lc within several hours that is thermodynamically stable at room-temperature. Structure analysis of 3-l shows that in contrast to 3-lc and 3c-CH2Cl2 this isomer consists exclusively of linear Ni(NCS)2 chains. Magnetic measurements of the new chain compounds 3-l and 3-lc shows χT values that are typical for Ni(II) cations with S = 1. For 3-l the exchange constant was determined by fitting of the magnetic data leading to a value that is similar to that of [Ni(NSC)2(2,2′-bipyridine)2]n.