Self-assembly of square-lattice copper sheets displaying intra-ferromagnetism

A homoleptic copper(II) complex supported by methyliminodiacetate [ = MIDA] has been prepared and characterized by elemental, infra-red, X-ray diffraction and magnetic methods. The complex assembles as a two-dimensional lattice in which the copper centers are arranged in a square grid, bridged by the carboxylate moieties of the ligand. [Cu^II₄MIDA₄]_∞ crystallizes in the tetragonal system P-4 2₁ c (a = 9.8943(5), b = 9.8943(5), c = 14.4687(7) Å, Z = 8, R = 0.0495). Each Cu^II atom displays severely distorted square pyramidal geometry (τ = 0.44) and is bridged to four additional copper centers by a syn-anti arrangement of the carboxylate groups. Within the sheet, the copper centers are separated by approximately 4.96 Å. The sheets are layered by arranging the copper squares directly on top of one another, resulting in parallel channels that extend throughout the material. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal the presence of ferromagnetic exchange between the spin carriers within each two-dimensional sheet and antiferromagnetic exchange across the layers.