Bis(di-2-pyridyl ketoximate-O,N,N′)bis(di-2-pyridyl ketoxime-N,N′)dicopper(II) diperchlorate: A plausible, weakly ferromagnetically-coupled intermediate in the formation of the neutral, strongly antiferromagnetically-coupled neutral dimer bearing only dep

•A cationic dinuclear copper(II) complex with a double oximato bridge has been prepared.•The complex is a synthetic intermediate of the corresponding neutral dimer.•The complex is characterized by a weak ferromagnetic exchange interaction.

Complex [Cu2{(py)2CNO}2{(py)2CNOH}2](ClO4)2 (2) has been isolated and proven to be an intermediate of the reaction that leads to the known, neutral dimer [Cu2{(py)2CNO}4]·2H2O (1), where (py)2CNOH = di-2-pyridyl ketoxime; the different topologies of the double oximato bridge in the two complexes lead to different magnetic responses.

Graphical abstractBis(di-2-pyridyl ketoximate)bis(di-2-pyridyl ketoxime)dicopper(II) diperchlorate contains a double diatomic oximato bridge which promotes an unusual ferromagnetic exchange interaction between the spin carriers; it is a synthetic intermediate in the formation of the corresponding neutral dimer that possesses exclusively deprotonated organic ligands.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide