Mixed Valency in a 3D Semiconducting Iron–Fluoranilate Coordination Polymer

A pair of coordination polymers of composition (NBu4)2[M2(fan)3] (fan = fluoranilate; M = Fe and Zn) were synthesized and structurally characterized. In each case the compound consists of a pair of interpenetrating three-dimensional, (10,3)-anetworks in which metal centers are linked by chelating/bridging fluoranilate ligands. Tetrabutylammonium cations are located in the spaces between the two networks. Despite the structural similarity, significant differences exist between (NBu4)2[Fe2(fan)3] and (NBu4)2[Zn2(fan)3] with respect to the oxidation states of the metal centers and ligands. For (NBu4)2[Fe2(fan)3] the structure determination as well as Mössbauer spectroscopy indicate the oxidation state for the Fe is close to +3, which contrasts with the +2 state for the Zn analogue. The differences between the two compounds extends to the ligands, with the Zn network involving only fluoranilate dianions, whereas the average oxidation state for the fluoranilate in the Fe network lies somewhere between −2 and −3. Magnetic studies on the Fe compound indicate short-range ordering. Electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical investigations indicate that the fluoranilate ligand is redox-active in both complexes; a reduced form of (NBu4)2[Fe2(fan)3] was generated by chemical reduction. Conductivity measurements indicate that (NBu4)2[Fe2(fan)3] is a semiconductor, which is attributed to the mixed valency of the fluoranilate ligands.