Solvotermal synthesis of NiO, Ni and NiS nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles of NiO, Ni or NiS have been obtained by solvothermal decomposition of different molecular precursors. The influence of several parameters, such as temperature, reaction time, solvent or capping agent used, in the nature and size of the obtained nanoparticle has been studied. The characterization by XRD and TEM techniques indicates that the nanoparticles of NiO exhibit average sizes of 3-8 nm, while those of Ni are in the 30-40 nm range. This difference in size has been attributed to the presence of molecules of the capping agent (n-octylamine or oleic acid) that surround the NiO nanoparticles but were not present in the nickel ones. The capping agent is, thus, preventing the aggregation of the smallest nanoparticles. The use of either a S-donor capping agent (4-mercaptopyridine) or a precursor having S-donor ligands (diethyldithiocarbamate) have led to the formation of NiS with average sizes around 35 nm. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles have been studied, showing superparamagnetism and magnetic hysteresis below the blocking temperature, which, in time, is dependent of the particle size.

Hexaazamacrocyclic nickel and copper complexes and their reactivity with tetracyanoquinodimethane.

The hexaazamacrocycle 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane, [18]ane-N6, forms mono- and dinuclear derivatives with copper chloride depending on the reaction stoichiometries and times. The mononuclear derivative, [Cu([18]ane-N6)]Cl2.H2O, presents the macrocycle wrapped around the metal atom in a distorted octahedral coordinative environment, while the dinuclear derivative, [Cu2([18]ane-N6)Cl2]Cl2.4H2O, is formed by a central Cu2Cl2 core surrounded by an almost planar macrocycle. The crystal structure of both derivatives is stabilized by a network of hydrogen bonds involving the amine macrocyclic groups, the chloride anions, and the crystallization water molecules. The copper atoms in the dinuclear derivative show a strong antiferromagnetic coupling, as expected for the crystal structure parameters. A mononuclear nickel derivative has also been obtained from nickel nitrate by following the same synthetic procedure. These compounds react with TCNQ salts with formation of two types of derivatives, [M([18]ane-N6)](TCNQ)2 and [M([18]ane-N6)](TCNQ)4, depending on the use of radical-anionic or mixed-valence TCNQ salts in the reaction. The crystal structures of the nickel derivatives show that the former derivatives are built up by macrocyclic metal cations surrounded by dimeric dianions (TCNQ)22-, either isolated or stacked along the crystal. The derivative with four TCNQ units/formula consists of alternated chains of metallomacrocyclic cations and stacked TCNQ anions. The crystal parameters suggest that every TCNQ holds approximately 0.5 electrons and overlaps with a neighboring unit to form dimeric monoanions, (TCNQ)2-.

Supramolecular architecture and magnetic properties of copper(II) and nickel(II) porphyrinogen-TCNQ electron-transfer salts.

The compounds [Cu(Tz)-(MeOH)2](TCNQ)2 (1), [Ni(Tz)-(MeOH)2](TCNQ)2 (2), [Cu(Tz)2]-(TCNQ)7 (3) and [Ni(Tz)2](TCNQ)7 (4) (Tz = 2,7,12,17-tetramethyl-1,6,11,16-tetraazaporphyrinogen) were obtained by metathesis reaction of [M(Tz)](ClO4)2 with LiTCNQ and Et3NH(TCNQ)2, respectively. They were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic and physical methods. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with a = 8.310(2), b = 25.180(4), c = 20.727(4) A, beta = 93.58(2) degrees; Z = 4. Compound 3 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 11.244(1), b = 16.700(1), c = 17.321(1) A, a = 113.47(1), beta = 108.52(1), gamma = 96.12(1) degrees; Z = 2. The asymmetric unit of the compound 1 is formed by cationic [Cu(Tz)(MeOH)2]2+ and by two crystallographically non equivalent TCNQ.- anions; these anions form dimeric units by overlap of the pi clouds. The dimers form hydrogen bonds with the metal-lomacrocyclic cation through the methanol ligands. According to this structure the compound is paramagnetic and behaves as an insulator in the temperature range studied. The paramagnetism arises only from the metal-complex moieties. Compound 3 shows an unprecedented structure due to the steric requirements of the macrocycle that favors the stacking of the TCNQ groups. The structure consists of infinite stacks of TCNQ units separated by the metal-macrocyclic units; there are seven TCNQ molecules per formula unit, one of which is formally mono-anionic, while the other six bear one half of an electron per molecule. The copper is six-coordinate in a very distorted octahedral environment. The Tz ligand is located in the equatorial plane and the apical nitrogens of the nitrile groups of two TCNQ molecules complete the coordination around the copper. The compound is a semiconductor and its magnetic behavior can be explained by the sum of the Curie contribution of the metal complex and the contribution arising from the magnetic-exchange interactions of the spins located on the TCNQ units. The latter is found to be typical of one-dimensional antiferromagnetic distorted chains of S = 1/2 spins and can be fitted according to a one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnetic model.