Syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of Ni(II)–2,4-pyridine-dicarboxylates

Two new complexes [Ni(pydc)(H2O)2]n (1) and [Ni2(pydc)2(H2O)5]n (2) (H2pydc = 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid) have been obtained by hydrothermal synthetic method and characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis. In 1 six-coordinate Ni(II) ions are coordinated by pydc ligands to form 2-D layer structures; while in 2 six-coordinate Ni(II) ions are only connected into 1-D zigzag chains constructed by dinuclear nickel units. Although the coordination geometries around Ni(II) centers in both complexes are similar, their structure topologies are greatly tuned by coordination modes of pydc. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility studies have shown that both compounds 1 and 2 may display antiferromagnetic coupling between paramagnetic metal centers mediated by bridging carboxylate groups.