The
heterodimetallic [CuFe] compounds [CuII
4(terpy)4Cl5][FeIII(C2O4)3]·10H2O (1;terpy = 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine), [CuII
2(H2O)2(terpy)2(C2O4)][CuIIFeIII(CH3OH)(terpy)(C2O4)3]2 (2),
and {[Cu2
IIFeIII(H2O)(terpy)2(C2O4)7/2]·6H2O}
n
(3) were obtained using
building block approach, from reaction of aqueous solution of [Fe(C2O4)3]3– and a methanol
solution containing Cu2+ ions and terpy by the layering
technique. Interestingly, by changing only the anion of the starting
salt of copper(II), Cu(NO3)2·3H2O instead of CuCl2·2H2O, an unexpected
change in the type of bridge, oxalate (2 and 3) versus chloride (1), was achieved, thus affecting
the overall structural architecture. Two polymorphs of 3D coordination
polymer [CuIIFeII
2(H2O)(terpy)(C2O4)3]
n
(4), crystallizing in the triclinic (a) and monoclinic
(b) space groups, were formed hydrothermally, depending
on whether CuCl2·2H2O or Cu(NO3)2·3H2O was added to the water, besides
K3[Fe(C2O4)3]·3H2O and terpy, respectively. Under hydrothermal conditions iron(III)
from initial building block is reduced to the divalent state, creating
2D honeycomb [FeII
2(C2O4)3]
n
2n– layers, which are bridged by [Cu(H2O)(terpy)]2+ cations. Compounds were investigated by single-crystal X-ray
diffraction, IR, and impedance spectroscopies, magnetization measurements,
and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In compounds 1 and 2, 0D magnetism is observed, with 1 having a ground-state spin of 1 due to different interactions
through chloride bridges of Cu2+ ions in tetramer [CuII
4(terpy)4Cl5]3+ and 2 showing strong antiferromagnetic coupling of
Cu2+ ions mediated by oxalate ligand in [CuII
2(H2O)2(terpy)2(C2O4)]2+ and weak ones between Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions through oxalate bridge in [CuIIFeIII(CH3OH)(terpy)(C2O4)3]−. Polymer 4 exhibits
antiferromagnetic phase transition at 25 K: The [FeII
2(C2O4)3]
n
2n– layers are antiferromagnetically
ordered, and a small amount of interlayer interaction is transferred
through [Cu(H2O)(terpy)]2+ cations via Oox–Cu–Oox bridges. Additionally, compounds 1 and 2 are electrical insulators, while 4a and 4b show proton conductivity.