Syntheses, crystal structures, electronic spectra and magnetic properties of two ion-pair charge transfer complexes based on [Ni(mnt)2]−

• Two new bimetallic ion-pair complexes based on [Ni(mnt)2]− have been synthesized.
• Two complexes exhibit sizable absorption in near-IR region due to ion-pair charge transfer (IPCT) transition.
• Investigation of the magnetic properties shows Curie-Weiss-type paramagnetic behavior.

Two new bimetallic ion-pair complexes 1 and 2 with general formula [M(phen)3][Ni(mnt)2]2 (phen = 1, 10-phenanthroline, mnt2− = maleonitriledithiolate; M = Ni2+, Fe2+ for 1 and 2), have been prepared and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-vis-NIR spectra and magnetic measurements. The structural determination reveals that the crystals of two ion-pair complexes, with monoclinic space group C2/c, have similar cell parameters and the [M(phen)3]2+ cations and the [Ni(mnt)2]- anions are packed by forming alternate layers. Thermogravimetric (TG) analyses revealed that 1 and 2 are thermally stable up to ∼170 °C. UV-vis-NIR spectra discloses that two complexes exhibit sizable absorption in near-IR region because of ion-pair charge transfer (IPCT) transitions in 1 and 2. Investigation of the magnetic properties 1 shows Curie-Weiss-type paramagnetic behavior in the temperature range 2–400 K. For 2, the paramagnetic behavior above ∼40 K indicated the [Fe(phen)3]2+ ion has a low-spin state and the weak Curie-Weiss type tail below 40 K results from a trace amount of paramagnetic [Ni(mnt)2]- species.

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