Binuclear Nickel Complexes of a New Di(hydroxyphenyl)imidazolate

Here, we report a new di(hydroxyphenyl)imidazolate ligand with an N2O2 donor set synthesized by modified Debus–Radziszewski procedure. Its binuclear nickel(II) complexes feature weak antiferromagnetic interaction J12 = −3.16 cm−1 between the two ions identified magnetometry measurements. As follows from cyclic voltammetry experiments and DFT calculations, they undergo ligand-centered oxidation via formation of cation radicals short lifetimes that can be potentially stabilized bulkier t-butyl groups in ortho-positions ligand. The reported widens range building blocks available to molecular magnetism community thus provides ways design magnetic materials switchable properties.