Antiferromagnetism In A Family Of S=1 Square Lattice Coordination Polymers Nix2(Pyz)(2) (X = Cl, Br, I, Ncs; Pyz = Pyrazine)

The crystal structures of NiX2(pyz)(2) (X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), and NCS (4)) were determined by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. All four compounds consist of two-dimensional (2D) square arrays self-assembled from octahedral NiN4X2 units that are bridged by pyz ligands. The 2D layered motifs displayed by 1-4 are relevant to bifluoride-bridged [Ni(HF2) (pyz)(2)]EF6 (E = P, Sb), which also possess the same 2D layers. In contrast, terminal X ligands occupy axial positions in 1-4 and cause a staggered packing of adjacent layers. Long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order occurs below 1.5 (Cl), 1.9 (Br and NCS), and 2.5 K (I) as determined by heat capacity and muon-spin relaxation. The single-ion anisotropy and g factor of 2, 3, and 4 were measured by electron-spin resonance with no evidence for zero field splitting (ZFS) being observed. The magnetism of 1-4 spans the spectrum from quasi-two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetism. Nearly identical results and thermodynamic features were obtained for 2 and 4 as shown by pulsed-field magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, as well as their Neel temperatures. Magnetization curves for 2 and 4 calculated by quantum Monte Carlo simulation also show excellent agreement with the pulsed-field data. Compound 3 is characterized as a 3D AFM with the interlayer interaction (j(perpendicular to)) being slightly stronger than the intralayer interaction along Ni-pyz-Ni segments (j(pyz)) within the two-dimensional [Ni(pyz)(2)](2+) square planes. Regardless of X, j(pyz), is similar for the four compounds and is roughly 1 K.