The synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties of an unprecedented one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer containing [Fe2(S2C6H2Cl2)4](2-) entities bridged by dicationic [K2(μ-H2O)2(THF)4](2+) units are described. The magnetic properties show that the title compound presents pairwise Fe-Fe antiferromagnetic interactions that can be well reproduced with a S = 1/2 dimer model with an exchange coupling, J = -23 cm(-1). The electrical conductivity measurements show that the title compound is a semiconductor with an activation energy of about 290 meV and two different transitions, both with large hysteresis of about 60 and 30 K at 260-320 K and 350-380 K, respectively. These two transitions are assumed to be due to slight structural changes in the cation-anion interactions. Differential Scanning Calorimetry confirms the presence of both transitions. This compound represents the first sample of a coordination polymer showing electrical bistability.

Coordination polymer chains have been formed by the direct reaction between HSC6H2Cl2SH and FeCl3·6H2O in the presence of an aqueous solution of the corresponding alkali-metal hydroxide (M = Li, Na, and K) or carbonate (M = Rb and Cs). The structures consist of dimeric [Fe2(SC6H2Cl2S)4](2-) entities bridged by [M2(THF)4] [M = K (1), Rb (2), and Cs (3); THF = tetrahydrofuran] or {[Na2(μ-H2O)2(THF)2] (5 and 5') units. The smaller size of the lithium atom yields an anion/cation ion-pair molecule, [Li(THF)4]2[Fe2(SC6H2Cl2S)4] (4), in which the dianionic moieties are held together by Cl···Cl interactions. Electrical characterization of these compounds shows a general semiconductor behavior in which the conductivity and activation energies are mainly determined by the M-Cl and M-S bond distances. Compounds 1 and 5' are interesting examples of bistability showing reversible transitions centered at ca. 350 and 290 K with very large hysteresis of ca. 60 and 35 K, respectively. All of these compounds exhibit intradimer strong antiferromagnetic Fe···Fe interactions.

One-pot reactions between Ni(ii), Pd(ii) or Pt(ii) salts and 3,6-dichloro-1,2-benzenedithiol (HSC6H2Cl2SH) in KOH medium under argon lead to a series of bis-dithiolene coordination polymers. X-ray analysis shows the presence of a common square planar complex [M(SC6H2Cl2S)2](2-) linked to potassium cations forming either a two-dimensional coordination polymer network for {[K2(μ-H2O)2(μ-thf)(thf)2][M(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n [M = Ni () and Pd ()] or a one-dimensional coordination polymer for {[K2(μ-H2O)2(thf)6][Pt(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n (). In the coordination environment of the potassium ions may slightly change leading to the two-dimensional coordination polymer {[K2(μ-H2O)(μ-thf)2][Pt(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n () that crystallizes together with . The physical characterization of compounds show similar trends, they are diamagnetic and behave as semiconductors.

A series of iron dithiolene compounds with sodium or potassium complexes have been prepared by direct reactions. Their structures consist of coordination polymers (CPs) of different dimensionalities or molecular compounds depending on the nature of the iron precursor, the presence or not of a donor substituent in the aromatic ring of the dithiolene ligand and the amount of water molecules present during the crystallization. Since all these compounds are based on the combination of cationic alkaline and anionic irondithiolene entities that connect each other by coordination bonds, in order to favor local electroneutrality the structures obtained show that charged entities with similar charge/size ratio pack more effectively. The flexibility of the potassium coordination environment seems to facilitate the structural diversity found for this family of compounds.

Air oxidation of the dithiolene derivatives {[K2(µ-H2O)2(µthf)(thf)2][Ni(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n and {[K2(µ-H2O)2(thf)6][Pt(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n yielded the ion-pair compounds [K(thf)6][M(SC6H2Cl2S)2] [M = Ni or Pt] while no reaction is observed for the case of {[K2(µ-H2O)2(µ-thf)(thf)2][Pd(SC6H2Cl2S)2]}n. Cyclic voltammetric studies have been used to rationalize this different behavior. Additionally, the new coordination polymers {[K2(thf)8][Ni4(SC6H4S)6]}n, {[K4(thf)4(H2O)2.28][Pd(O2SC6H4S)1.36(OSC6H4S)0.64]2}n, {[K2(H2O)4][Pd(O2SC6H4S)2][Pd(O2SC6H4S)(SC6H4S)]}n and {[K4(thf)4(H2O)2.24][Pt(O2SC6H4S)1.38(OSC6H4S)0.62]2}n have been obtained using a similar synthetic strategy i.e. oxidation reactions of group 10 metals dithiolene derivatives bearing (SC6H4S) 2ligands.