[Fe(btzp)
3](ClO
4)
2 (btzp = 1,2-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)propane) represents the first structurally characterized Fe(II) linearchain compound exhibiting thermal spin crossover. It shows a very gradual spin transition (
T1/2 = 130 K) whichhas been followed by magnetic susceptibility measurements and
57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The structure hasbeen solved at 200 and 100 K by single-crystal X-ray analysis. It crystallizes in the trigonal space group
Pc1with
Z = 2 Fe(II) units at both temperatures. The molecular structure consists of chains running along the
c axisin which the Fe(II) ions are linked by three
N4,
N4' coordinating bis(tetrazole) ligands. The main difference betweenthe two forms appears to be in the Fe-N bond lengths, which are 2.164(4) Å at 200 K and 2.038(4) Å at 100 K.The Fe-Fe separations are 7.422(1) Å at 200 K and 7.273(1) Å at 100 K. The EXAFS results are consistent withthe crystal structure. In both spin states, the FeN
6 octahedron is almost regular within the EXAFS resolution. TheFe-N distance is found as 2.16(2) Å at 300 K and 2.00(2) Å at 40 K. The absence of the "7 Å peak" in theEXAFS spectra of [Fe(btzp)
3](ClO
4)
2, in contrast with what has been observed for the [Fe(4-R-1,2,4-triazole)
3](anion)
2 chain compounds, confirms that this peak can be used as the signature of a metal alignment only whenit involves a strongly enhanced multiple scattering M-M-M path, with M-M spacing less than 4 Å. Irradiationwith green light at 5 K has led to the population of the metastable high-spin state for the iron(II) ion. The natureof the spin-crossover behavior has been discussed on the basis of the structural features.