Two novel complexes
trans-[Fe(MBPT)
2(NCS)
2] (
1) and
cis-[Fe(mMBPT)
2(NCS)
2] (
2) havebeen synthesized and their structure characterized at 293 K by single-crystal X-raycrystallography [MBPT (or mMBPT) = 4-
p(or
m)-methylphenyl-3,5-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole]. Complexes
1 and
2 are isomers, and
1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group
Pwith
Z = 1,
a = 9.120(3) Å,
b = 9.2563(18) Å,
c = 11.576(2) Å,
= 76.256(15)
,
= 76.405(18)
,
= 84.983(19)
, and
V = 922.1(4) Å
3 in contrast to
2 in the monoclinic space group
C2/
c with
Z = 4,
a = 21.851(3) Å,
b = 13.4113(15) Å,
c = 16.859(3) Å,
= 128.153(9)
, and
V = 3885.0(9) Å
3. Both complexes have a similar pseudo-octahedral [FeN
6] core with theNCS
- groups in the trans arrangement in
1 but cis in
2. Variable-temperature magneticsusceptibility and IR spectral measurements reveal that
1 shows an abrupt high-spin
low-spin (HS
LS) transition centered at
T1/2 around 231 K, in contrast to
2 staying in ahigh-spin state in the observed temperature range of 75-300 K. The extended X-rayabsorption fine structures (EXAFS) spectra confirm that the average Fe-N distance for theHS state in
1 is
0.2 Å longer than that of the LS state. Complex
1 represents the firstspin-crossover iron(II) complex with triaryltriazole and
trans-thiocyanate ligands.