A novel polymeric one-dimensional compound Cu(tn)Cl
2 (tn = 1,3-diaminopropane) was prepared and structurallycharacterized, and its spectral, magnetic, thermodynamic, and thermal properties were studied. The unique structureshows ladderlike chains composed of Cu
II atoms and chloro bridging ligands [Cu(-<
IMG SRC="/images/entities/mgr.gif">
3-Cl-)Cu
2] running along thecrystallographic
c axis. The coordination geometry about copper (4 + 2) approximates that of a strongly elongatedoctahedron. The equatorial plane of the coordination octahedron is formed by a chelate N-bonded tn ligand andtwo chloro ligands. One of the chloro ligands is terminal, and the other one,
3-Cl
-, forms two additional longerbonds to the neighboring copper atoms and thus occupies the axial octahedral positions. The electronic groundstate of the Cu
II ion is of d
z2 symmetry and suggests the activation of intraladder and interladder Cl···H-N hydrogenbonds as exchange paths that form a two-dimensional pattern of a triangular symmetry. The interaction due to thehydrogen bonds seems to play an important role in molecular packing and magnetic coupling. The studies ofmagneto-structural correlations including electron paramagnetic resonance measurements and thermodynamic andmagnetic properties revealed a two-dimensional character of magnetic correlations with the effective intralayerexchange coupling
J/
kB ![](/images/entities/ap.gif)
-3 K. No phase transition to the ordered state has been observed down to 60 mK.Cu(tn)Cl
2 with the interlayer coupling
J'
![](/images/entities/ap.gif)
10
-3J and moderate intralayer interaction represents an excellent exampleof a two-dimensional magnetic system.