Heterometallic Fe^III/K Coordination Polymer with a Wide Thermal Hysteretic Spin Transition at Room Temperature

The anionic Fe^III complex exhibiting cooperative spin transition with a wide thermal hysteresis near room temperature, K[Fe(5-Brthsa)₂] (5-Brthsa-H₂=5-bromosalicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone), is reported. The hysteresis (Δ=69 K in the first cycle) shows a one-step transition in heating mode and a two-step transition in cooling mode. X-ray structure analysis showed that the coexistence of hydrogen bond and cation-π interactions, as well as alkali metal coordination bonds, to give 2D coordination polymer structure. This result is contrary to previous reports of broad thermal hysteresis induced by coordination bonds of Fe^II spin crossover coordination polymers (with 1D/3D structures), and by strong intermolecular interactions in the molecular packing through π-π stacking or hydrogen-bond networks. As a consequence, the importance, or the very good suitability of alkali metal-based coordination bonds and cation-π interactions for communicating cooperative interactions in spin-crossover (SCO) compounds must be reconsidered.