Syntheses, characterizations and crystal structures of two Ni(II) complexes [Ni2(neoc)4(H2O)(CO3)](NO3)2·3H2O and [Ni(bapa)2](NO3)2·H2O and magnetic properties of the carbonato complex

By the reaction of nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate with 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (neoc) and bis(3-aminopropyl)amine (bapa) two novel complexes were isolated, namely [Ni2(neoc)4(H2O)(CO3)](NO3)2·3H2O (1) and [Ni(bapa)2](NO3)2·H2O (2). Both structures are ionic and comprise hexacoordinated Ni(II) central atoms. Complex 1 is built up of dinuclear [Ni2(neoc)4(H2O)(CO3)]2+ complex cation, nitrate anions and water solvate molecules. The dinuclear complex cation is centrosymmetric and the two Ni(II) atoms are linked by a μ3-bridging-chelating carbonato ligand which, due to the presence of an inversion centre, exhibits two orientations with equal probability. The coordination sphere of Ni(II) atom is heteroleptic with an N4O2 donor set formed by two chelating neoc ligands and two O-donor atoms from bridging carbonato and aqua ligands. The carbonato ligand was formed by transformation of absorbed carbon dioxide from air (single crystals) or from dry ice (bulk sample). The crystal structure of 2 is formed by [Ni(bapa)2]2+ complex cation, nitrate anions and water solvate molecule. The coordination sphere of Ni(II) atom in 2 is homoleptic with N6 donor set. Both bapa ligands act as double chelating 3 N-donor ligands and are coordinated in mer-fashion. The study of the magnetic response of 1 in the temperature range 1.8–300 K revealed that the system can be considered as a system of antiferromagnetic S = 1 spin dimers with exchange interaction J/hc = -13.86 cm−1 (J/kB = -19.96 K) and axial single-ion anisotropy D/hc = -4.94 cm−1 (D/kB = -7.12 K). The experimental magnetic results were corroborated by ab initio and DFT calculations.