Molecular paramagnetic semiconductor:: Crystal structures and magnetic and conducting properties of the Ni(dmit)2 salts of 6-oxoverdazyl radical cations (dmit=1,3-dithiol-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate)

Four kinds of 1:1 and 1:3 salts of 3-[4-(trimethylammonio)phenyl]-1,5-diphenyl-6-oxoverdazyI radical cation ([1](+)) and its mono- and dimethyl derivatives ([2](+) and [3](+)) with Ni(dmit)(2) anions (d(mit) = 1,3-dithiol-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate) ([1](+)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) (4), [2](+)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) (5), [3](+)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) (6), and [1](+)[Ni(dmit)(2)](3)(-) (7)) have been prepared, and the magnetic susceptibilities (chi(M)) have been measured between 1.8 and 300 K. The chi(M) values of salts 5 and 7 can be well reproduced by the sum of the contributions from (i) a Curie-Weiss system with a Curie constant of 0.376 (K emu)/mol and negative Weiss constants (Theta) of -0.4 and -1.7 K and (ii) a dimer system with strong negative exchange interactions of 2J/k(B) = -354 and -258 K, respectively. The dimer formations in Ni(dmit)(2) anions have been ascertained by the crystal structure analyses of salts 4-6. In salts 4 and 6, Ni(dmit)(2) dimer molecules are sandwiched between two verdazyl cations, indicating the formation of a linear tetramer in 4 and 6. The magnetic susceptibility data for salts 4 and 6 have been fitted to a linear tetramer model using an end exchange interaction of 2J(1)/k(B) = -600 K and a central interaction of 2J(2)/k(B) = -280 K for 4 and 2J(1)/k(B) = -30 K and 2J(2)/k(B) = -580 K for 6, respectively. The results of the temperature dependence of the 9(T) value in salts 4-6 obtained by ESR measurement also support the above analyses. The 1:1 salts 4-6 are insulators. On the other hand, the conductivity of the 1:3 salt 7 at 20 degreesC was sigma = 0.10 S cm(-1) with an activation energy E-A = 0.099 eV, showing the semiconductor property. Salt 7 is a new molecular paramagnetic semiconductor.