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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Atomic Scale Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 17, 2017
Inter- and intramolecular spin transfer in molecular magnetic materials. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic
Henrike Heise1, Frank H Köhler, Martin Herker
1Anorganisch-chemisches Institut, Technische Universität München, D-85747 Garching, Germany.
Abstract:
To shed light on the interaction in molecule-based magnetic materials, the decamethylmetallocenium hexafluorophosphates, [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) [PF(6)](-) with M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, as well as the tetracyanoethenides, [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) [TCNE](-) with M = Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co, have been investigated in the solid state by using (1)H, (13)C, (19)F, and (31)P NMR spectroscopy under magic angle spinning (MAS). The isotropic (13)C and (1)H NMR signals cover ranges of about 1300 and 500 ppm, respectively. From the shift anisotropies of the ring carbon signal of the [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) cations, the total unpaired electron spin density in the ligand pi orbitals has been calculated; it amounts up to 36% (M = Ni) and is negative for M = Cr, Mn, and Fe. The radical anion of [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) [TCNE](-) shifts the (13)C NMR signals of all [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) cations to high frequency, which establishes transfer of positive spin density from the anions to the cations. The (19)F and (31)P NMR signals of the paramagnetic salts [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+) [PF(6)](-) are shifted up to 13.5 ppm relative to diamagnetic [(C(5)Me(5))(2)Co](+) [PF(6)](-). The signs of these shifts are the same as those of the pi spin density in [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+). After consideration of interionic ligand- and metal-centered dipolar shifts, this establishes cation-anion spin delocalization. The mixed crystals [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M(x)Co(1-x)](+)[PF(6)](-) have been prepared for M = Cr and Ni. They are isostructural with [(C(5)Me(5))(2)Co](+) [PF(6)](-) whose single-crystal structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The (13)C, (19)F, and (31)P MAS NMR spectra of the mixed crystals show that the respective two closest paramagnetic ions in the lattice delocalize spin density to [(C(5)Me(5))(2)Co](+), [(C(5)Me(5))(2)Ni](+), and [PF(6)](-). In [(C(5)Me(5))(2)M](+), about 10(-4) au per carbon atom are transferred.
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