SYNTHESIS, CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF [N(C4H9)(4)][NI(DIOD)(2)] - A POTENTIAL PRECURSOR FOR NEW MATERIALS

The complex [N(C4H9)][Ni(diod)(2)] where died = 1,4-dithia-6-oxa-2,3-dithiolate, has been prepared and structurally characterised. The complex crystallises in the space group I2/a with a = 16.890 Angstrom, b = 11.448 Angstrom, c = 18.382 Angstrom and beta = 104.53 degrees. The compound contains one unpaired electron per molecular unit and obeys the Curie-Weiss law over the temperature range 5-290 K with theta approximate to 0. A charge-transfer salt of approximate composition [BEDT-TTF][Ni(diod)(2)](6) was prepared by electrocrystallisation and a compressed pellet of this salt had a room temperature conductivity of 10(-2) S cm(-1) and semiconducting behaviour over the temperature range 150-300 K.