First example of a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymerization-depolymerization accompanied by a magnetic anomaly for a transition-metal complex with an organic radical.

The reaction of copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Cu(hfac)2] with the stable nitronyl nitroxide 2-(1-ethyl-3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (L(a)) resulted in a paired heterospin complex [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2]. The crystals of the compound were found to be capable of a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SC-SC) transformation initiated by the variation of temperature. At room temperature, the molecular structure of [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2] is formed by the alternating fragments of the pair complex. Cooling the crystals of the complex below 225 K caused considerable mutual displacements of adjacent molecules, which ended in a transformation of the molecular structure into a polymer chain structure. A reversible topotactic polymerization-depolymerization coordination reaction actually takes place in the solid during repeated cooling-heating cycles: [[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2][Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2] ⇌ Cu(hfac)2(μ-O,N-L(a))]∞. Polymerization during cooling is the result of the anomalously great shortening of intermolecular distances (from 4.403 Å at 295 K to 2.460 Å at 150 K; Δd = 1.943 Å) between the terminal Cu atoms of the trinuclear fragments {[[Cu(hfac)2]3(μ-O,N-L(a))2]} and the noncoordinated N atoms of the pyrazole rings of the mononuclear {[Cu(hfac)2(O-L(a))2]} fragments. When the low-temperature phase was heated above 270 K, the polymer chain structure was destroyed and the compound was again converted to the pair molecular complex. The specifics of the given SC-SC transformation lies in the fact that the process is accompanied by a magnetic anomaly, because the intracrystalline displacements of molecules lead to a considerable change in the mutual orientation of the paramagnetic centers, which, in turn, causes modulation of the exchange interaction between the odd electrons of the Cu(2+) ion and nitroxide. On the temperature curve of χT, this shows itself as a hysteresis loop. The nontrivial character of the recorded spin transition during the cooling of the sample below 225 K lies in the fact that the magnetic moment abruptly increased. In contrast, heating the sample above 270 K led to a drastic decrease in χT. This behavior of χT is caused by a stepwise change in the character of the exchange interaction in the {>N-(•)O-Cu(2+)-O(•)-N<} fragments. The lengthening of distances between the paramagnetic centers on cooling below 225 K led to a transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic exchange and, vice versa, the shortening of distances between the paramagnetic centers during the heating of the heterospin polymer above 270 K led to a transition from ferromagnetic exchange to antiferromagnetic exchange.