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We report the syntheses and magnetic property characterizations of four mononuclear cobalt(ii) complex salts featuring a tripodal iminopyridine ligand with external anion receptor groups, [CoL5-ONHtBu]X2 (X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3) and ClO4 (4)). While all four salts exhibit anion binding through pendant amide moieties, only in the case of 1 is field-induced slow relaxation of magnetisation observed, whereas in the other salts this phenomenon is absent at the limits of our instrumentation. The effect of chloride inducing a seventh Co-N interaction and concomitant structural distortion is hypothesized as the origin of the observed dynamic magnetic properties observed in 1. Ab initio computational studies carried out on a 7-coordinate Co(ii) model species survey the complex interplay of coordination number and trigonal twisting on the sign and magnitude of the axial anisotropy parameter (D), and identify structural features whose distortions can trigger large switches in the sign and magnitude of magnetic anisotropy.

Four new quasi-1D Ni 2 -lantern chain complexes of the form [Ni 2 (SOCR) 4 (L)] ∞ (R = Ph, L = DABCO (1); R = Ph, L = pyz (2); R = CH 3 , L = DABCO (3); R = CH 3 , L = pyz (4)) were prepared from the reaction of [Ni 2 (SOCR) 4 (EtOH)], R = CH 3 or Ph, with the N,N'-donor bridging ligands pyrazine (pyz) or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). Reaction of [Ni 2 (tba) 4 (EtOH)], (tba = thiobenzoate) with the mono-N donor ligand quinuclidine (quin) gave the discrete Ni 2 -lantern complex [Ni 2 (tba) 4 (quin)] (5), whereas reaction with pyridine led to fragmentation of the lantern and formation of the known [Ni(tba) 2 (py) 2 ] (6). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals 2-4 to be 1D chain complexes comprising DABCO or pyz ligands which bridge the Ni 2 -lantern units. Complex 5 forms dimers through two equivalent NiS interactions. The Ni-Ni distances within the Ni 2 -lanterns are 2.5316(18)-2.595(2) Å for the 1D chain complexes 2-4, and 2.5746(4) Å in the dimeric complex 5, respectively. Comparing the solid state magnetism of 5 to precursor [Ni 2 (tba) 4 (EtOH)] demonstrates a change in coupling upon change of capping ligand. Meanwhile, chains 1-4 exhibit magnetic properties consistent with an S = 1 system, due to a mixed valent system where the two Ni centers differ in spin state, while 5 possesses two S = 1 Ni(ii) centers. DFT calculations confirm low-spin S = 0 {NiS 4 } and high-spin S = 1 {NiO 4 } centers in each lantern. Fits to the magnetic susceptibility data of the chains suggest a weak antiferromagnetic mean field interaction is present that is largely 1-D in nature, though neither pyrazine nor DABCO promote significant magnetic interaction between neighboring Ni 2 -lanterns.

We present the syntheses and characterization of several salts of a trigonal prismatic cobalt(ii) complex with a 1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane (tach)-derived ditopic ligand. The air- and moisture-stable tetraphenylborate salt (2) shows slow magnetic relaxation under both zero and applied dc fields. This complex also exhibits an unexpected ability to interact with a cationic sodium guest ion, highlighting the ambifunctional binding nature of amide groups within an iminopyridine scaffold.