First crystal structure of an Fe(III) anionic complex based on a pyruvic acid thiosemicarbazone ligand with Li+: synthesis, features of magnetic behavior and theoretical analysis.

The iron(III) anionic complex based on a pyruvic acid thiosemicarbazone ligand with the lithium cation Li[FeIII(thpy)2]·3H2O (1) has been synthesized and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction, direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Moreover, the molecular structure of the [Fe(thpy)2]- anion has been determined for the first time. The [Fe(thpy)2]- units in the triclinic P1̄ lattice of 1 are assembled into layers parallel to the bc plane. The Li+ cations and water molecules are located between the layers and the structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonding. The [Fe(thpy)2]- anions form interconnected dimer pairs through hydrogen bonds and short contacts with Fe⋯Fe separation of 6.7861(4) Å. According to dc magnetic measurements, compound 1 demonstrates an incipient spin-crossover transition from the LS (S = 1/2) to the HS (S = 5/2) state above 250 K. The Bleaney-Bowers equation for a model of an isolated LS dimer with a mean-field correction was applied to fit the experimental data of magnetic susceptibility dependence on temperature in the temperature range of 2-250 K. The intra-dimer J1 = -1.79(1) K and inter-dimer J2 = -0.24(3) K antiferromagnetic coupling constants were defined. The analysis of the 57Fe Mössbauer spectra at 80 K and 296 K confirms the presence of the shortened distances between the iron nuclei. Moreover, the influence of the lithium cation on the stabilization of the LS state was shown for the [Fe(thpy)2]- anion. BS-DFT calculations for the optimized structure of two isolated [Fe(thpy)2]- anions also correctly predict a weak exchange J1(calc) = -0.92 K. DFT calculations revealed the OPBE (GGA-type) functional that correctly predicts the spin-crossover transition for the iron(III) thpy compounds. Besides, the effect of the N2O4, N2S2O2, and N2Se2O2 coordination environments on the energy stabilization of the LS state of iron(III) anionic thpy complexes was noted as well.

Peculiar Spin-Crossover Behavior in the 2D Polymer K[FeIII(5Cl-thsa)2].

A potassium salt of the N2S2O2-coordination Fe(III) anion K[Fe(5Cl-thsa)2] (1) (5Cl-thsa - 5-chlorosalicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone) is synthesized and characterized structurally and magnetically over a wide temperature range. Two polymorphs of salt 1 characterized by the common 2D polymer nature and assigned to the same orthorhombic Pbcn space group have been identified. The molecular structure of the minor polymorph of 1 was solved and refined at 100, 250, and 300 K is shown to correspond to the LS configuration. The dominant polymorph of 1 features K+ cations disordered over a few crystallographic sites, while the minor polymorph includes fully ordered K+ cations. The major polymorph exhibits a complete three-step cooperative spin-crossover transition both in the heating and cooling modes: The first step occurs in a temperature range from 2 to 50 K; the second abrupt hysteretic step occurs from 200 to 250 K with T1/2 = 230 K and a 6 K hysteresis loop. The third gradual step occurs from 250 to 440 K. According to 57Fe Mössbauer, XRPD, and EXAFS data, the spin-crossover transition for the dominant polymorph is quite peculiar. Indeed, the increase in the HS concentration by 57% at the second step does not result in the expected significant increase in the iron(III)-ligand bond lengths. In addition, the final step of the spin conversion (ΔγHS = 26%) is associated with a structural phase transition with a symmetry lowering from the orthorhombic (Pbcn) to the monoclinic (P21/n) space group. This nontrivial phenomenon was investigated in detail by applying magnetization measurements, electron spin resonance, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. These results provide a new platform for understanding the multistep spin-crossover character in the Fe(III) thsa-complexes and related compounds.

Spin-crossover behavior of neutral iron(iii) complexes with salicylaldehyde thio-, seleno- and semicarbazone ligands: experiment and theoretical analysis.

The iron(iii) complex [Fe(Hsemsal)(semsal)]·3H2O (1) (H2semsal - salicylaldehyde semicarbazone) has been synthesized and characterized by powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Crystal structure analysis showed that the complex forms neat stacks stabilized by hydrogen-bonding through water molecules and π-π interactions between phenolate rings of ligands. The complex does not exhibit spin-crossover phenomena and remains in the high-spin state down to 2 K. DFT calculations were performed for a series of neutral Fe(iii) complexes, and the influence of the N2S2O2, N2Se2O2 and N2O4 coordination environment on the spin transition in these complexes was traced. The effect of substituents in the benzene ring of salicylaldehyde on the stabilization of the HS or LS states in complexes of this type was analyzed.

Insights into the influence of ethylene group orientation on the iron(iii) spin state in the spin crossover complex [FeIII(Sal2-trien)].

The DFT calculations of the spin crossover complex [FeIII(Sal2-trien)]+ (1) with the following classification of conformers of 1 were performed. The study shows that rearrangements of ethylene group orientation in a coordinated ligand lead to the stabilization of the high-spin or low-spin iron(iii) state.