3D self-penetrating coordination network constructed by dicyanamide and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane-N,N′-dioxide (bpeado)

The complexes of formulae M(dca)(2)(bpeado) (M = Mn (1), Fe (2), Co (3), Ni (4), Cu (5); dca = dicyanamide; bpeado = 1,2- bis(4-pyridyl) ethane- N,N'-dioxide) have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. Compounds 1 - 5 contain 3D self-penetrating networks, in which bidentate dca ligands bridge the octahedral metal ions to form square-grid like M( dca) 2 sheets and these sheets are further connected by criss-crossing bpeado to give a 3D self-penetrating network. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility studies have shown that these compounds generally display very weak antiferromagnetic coupling because of the long bpeado and mu(1,5)-dca pathways. Consequently, no magnetic ordering was found.