OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. This is an author-deposited version published in: http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/ Eprints ID : 2545To link to this article : URL : http://dx.Nickel coordination compounds of the cyanamido squarate ligand. The crystal structures of the 2,4-bis(cyanamido)cyclobutane-1,3-dione dianion (2,4-NCNsq 2À ) and of three polymers with generalDisodium and ditetraphenylphosphonium salts of 2,4-bis(cyanamido)cyclobutane-1,3-dione, Na 2 (2,4-NCNsq) AE 2H 2 O (1) and (Ph 4 P) 2 (2,4-NCNsq) AE 4H 2 O (2) have been synthesized and used to prepare three nickel(II) complexes: [Ni(Him) 4 (2,4-NCNsq) AE 2H 2 O] n (3), [Ni(Him) 3 (H 2 O)(2,4-NCNsq) AE H 2 O] n (4) and [Ni(Him) 2 (H 2 O) 2 (2,4-NCNsq) AE 3H 2 O] n (5). Compounds 1-5 have been synthesized and characterized by electronic absorption and IR spectroscopies and by electrochemical studies. The structures of the salt 2 and of the complexes 3-5 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The dianion of 2 presents a centro-symmetric square planar structure with two NCN functions deviated from the ring plane by an angle of 20.6°. Complexes 3-5 are polynuclear nickel(II) compounds containing 2,4-NCNsq 2À bridging ligands. These ligands are coordinated by the nitrile nitrogen atoms of the cyanamido functions and lie in cis (complex 4) or trans (complexes 3 and 5) positions in the coordination sphere of the nickel(II). The magnetic properties of the three complexes have been investigated in the 2-300 K temperature range (l eff = 2.79-3.34 l B for 3, 2.76-3.25 l B for 4 and 3.14-3.46 l B for 5). Their redox properties are discussed and compared to those of the free 2,4-NCNsq 2À dianion.