Hydrothermal synthesis, structural chemistry, and magnetic properties of materials of the MII/triazolate/anion family, where MII = Mn, Fe, and Ni.

Hydrothermal chemistry has been exploited in the preparation of a series of manganese(II), iron(II), and nickel(II) triazolate frameworks, [Mn7(trz)8(CH3CO2)4(OH)2].2.5H2O (1.2.5H2O), [Mn5(Htrz)2(SO4)4(OH)2] (2), [Fe5(Htrz)2(SO4)4(OH)2] (3), [Fe3(Htrz)3(HSO4)(SO4)2(OH)].H2O (4.H2O), [Ni3(trz)3(OH)3(H2O)4].5H2O (5.5H2O), and [Ni3(trz)5(OH)].2.5H2O (6.2.5H2O). The materials all exhibit three-dimensional structures, reflecting the tendency of triazole/triazolate ligands to bridge multiple metal sites. A prominent characteristic of the structures is the presence of embedded metal clusters as building blocks: heptanuclear MnII units in 1, pentanuclear MII sites in 2 and 3, and trinuclear MII clusters in 4 and 5. The presence of the pentanuclear and trinuclear clusters of magnetic metal cations in 2-5 is reflected in the unusual magnetic characteristics of these materials, all of which exhibit spin frustration. The compound 5.5H2O reversibly desorbs/sorbs solvent. However, the dehydrated phase does not adsorb methanol, N2, O2, or H2, presumably as a consequence of the highly polar void volume and the narrow channels connecting the larger cavities of the void structure.