Ferromagnetically coupled single-chain magnets exhibiting a magnetic hysteresis of 0.42 Tesla in cyano-bridged FeIII2M II (M = Ni, Fe) coordination polymers.

The synthesis, single-crystal structures and magnetic properties of two new double-zigzag-chain cyano-bridged heterobimetallic {[M ^II (Py-NOH) ₂ ][Fe ^III (Tp*)(CN) ₃ ] ₂ }·H ₂ O ([FeIII2M ^II ]) (Py-NOH = 4-pyridinealdoxime, Tp* = tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borohydride, M = Ni (1), Fe (2)) compounds are reported. The crystal structures of both compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural, with the crystal structure comprising neutral double-zigzag (4,2-ribbon-like) bimetallic chains. The Fe ^III ion is coordinated by three cyanide carbon atoms and three nitrogen atoms of Tp* anions. However, the M ^II ion is surrounded by four cyanide nitrogen atoms and two nitrogen atoms from two Py-NOH ligands. The crystal structures and magnetic studies demonstrate that both complexes behave as single-chain magnetics (SCMs) with intrachain ferromagnetic coupling. Furthermore, [FeIII2Ni ^II ] exhibits an excellent coercive field of 0.42 T at 1.8 K, among cyano-bridged 3d transition-metal-based SCMs reported thus far. Preliminary theoretical calculations provide a deep understanding of the magnetic properties of [FeIII2Ni ^II ].