Chemistry

2-Chloro-3-fluoropyridine copper(II) complexes and the effect of structural changes on magnetic behavior

Robert J. Dubois, Clark University
Christopher P. Landee, Clark University
Melanie Rademeyer, University of Pretoria
Mark M. Turnbull, Clark University

Abstract

A family of copper(II) compounds has been prepared with the general formula (2-chloro-3-fluoro-pyridine) 2 CuX 2 ·n(Y), where X = Cl, Br, n = 0,1, and Y = methanol or water. For the copper chloride complexes, only solvated structures were obtained (1, X = Cl, Y = H 2 O; 2, X = Cl, Y = CH 3 OH) while for the copper bromide compounds, both a desolvated structure and the methanol solvate were prepared (3, X = Br, Y = none; 4, X = Br, Y = CH 3 OH). Each compound has been characterized by IR, powder X-ray diffraction, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurement. Compounds 1 and 4 are isostructural, in the space group Cm, and neither exhibits significant magnetic exchange although superexchange pathways are present. Compound 2 also crystallizes in the Cm space group and exhibits weak ferromagnetic interactions (J/k B = 1.72(2) K from the 1D-ferromagnetic chain model) which are likely propagated by hydrogen bonding. Compound 3 crystallizes in the space group P2 1 /n with the Cu(II) ion sitting on a crystallographic inversion center. Compound 3 exhibits weak antiferromagnetic exchange via two-halide superexchange typical for similar complexes. The magnetic data for 3 were fit to the 1D-antiferromagnetic chain model resulting in J/k B = −1.21(1).