Fluoroacid-base reactions of a room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium fluorohydrogenate (EMIm(HF)2.3F, EMIm = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation), and Lewis fluoroacids (BF3, PF5, AsF5, NbF5, TaF5 and WF6) give EMIm salts of the corresponding fluorocomplex anions, EMImBF4, EMImPF6, EMImAsF6, EMImNbF6, EMImTaF6 and EMImWF7, respectively. Attempts to prepare EMImVF6 by both the acid-base reaction of EMIm(HF)2.3F with VF5 and the metathesis of EMImCl with KVF6 failed due to the strong oxidizing power of the pentavalent vanadium, whereas EMImSbF6 was successfully prepared only by the metathesis of EMImCl and KSbF6. EMImBF4, EMImSbF6, EMImNbF6, EMImTaF6 and EMImWF7 are liquids at room temperature whereas EMImPF6 and EMImAsF6 melts at around 330 K. Raman spectra of the obtained salts showed the existence of the EMIm cation and corresponding fluorocomplex anions. IR spectroscopy revealed that strong hydrogen bonds are not observed in these salts. EMImAsF6(mp 326 K) and EMImSbF6(mp 283 K) are isostructural with the previously reported EMImPF6. The melting point of the hexafluorocomplex EMIm salt decreases with the increase of the size of the anion (PF6- < AsF6- < SbF6-

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Crystal structure of Li 2 (EMIm)(N(SO 2 CF 3) 2) 3 (EMIm = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction as a structural clue of ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium batteries. Li 2 (EMIm)(N(SO 2 CF 3) 2) 3 crystallizes in the space group P2 1 /c, a = 15.184(3) Å, b = 11.358(3) Å, c = 21.249(5) Å, β = 111.454(12)°, Z = 4, V = 3561.18(14) Å 3. Two of the three N(SO 2 CF 3) 2 anions have cis-conformations and the third anion shows a trans-conformation. The asymmetric unit contains two crystallographically independent lithium ions and both of them are trigonal-bipyramidally coordinated by five oxygen atoms of N(SO 2 CF 3) 2 anions, forming a twodimensional network. EMIm cation occupies a space in the network, weakly interacting with the anions.

Lining them up: Purely organic paramagnetic liquid crystals (see picture) showing thermally stable nematic or cholesteric phases were successfully prepared. The molecular orientation of the bulk liquid crystals induced by weak magnetic fields was confirmed by magnetic susceptibility measurements and EPR spectroscopy.

Reactions of [FeII(CN)2(bpy)2] and [FeIII(CN)2(bpy)2](PF6) with [CuII(bpy)(CH3OH)2](PF6)2 in methanol yielded cyanide-bridged cyclic tetranuclear complexes of [FeII 2CuII 2(μ-CN)4(bpy)6](PF6)4·2H2O·4CHCl3 (1) and [FeIII 2CuII 2(μ-CN)4(bpy)6](PF6)6·4CH3CN·2CHCl3 (2), respectively. In the squares of 1 and 2, the Fe2+/3+ (low-spin) and Cu2+ ions are alternately bridged by the cyanide ions, the carbon atoms of which coordinate to the iron ions. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies of complexes revealed that the Cu2+ ions in 1 are magnetically isolated. In the square of 2, the adjacent Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions were ferromagnetically coupled through the cyanide bridges with a J 1 value of +6.3(1) cm-1 and the weaker antiferromagnetic interactions between the orthogonal Fe3+···Fe3+ and Cu2+···Cu2+ pairs are operative (J 2 = −3.1(1) cm-1). The propagation of the ferromagnetic interaction in 2 can be understood by the orthogonal magnetic orbitals of the low-spin Fe3+ (dπ) and Cu2+ (dσ) ions. Cyclic voltammograms of the squares have been recorded and discussed. Crystal data for 1:  triclinic space group P1̄, a = 14.491(4) Å, b = 15.312(4) Å, c = 12.959(3) Å, α = 91.38(2)°, β = 109.56(2)°, γ = 65.41(2)°, Z = 1. Crystal data for 2:  triclinic space group P1̄, a = 14.472(9) Å, b = 15.310(6) Å, c = 12.523(5) Å, α = 102.58(3)°, β = 107.19(4)°, γ = 75.08(4)°, Z = 1.