ELECTRON DENSITY DETERMINATION ON [Ni(MNT)2]2- [N(CH3)_4]+2

M. Trenkle1, H. Burzlaff1, H. Kisch2

1Institut für Angewandte Physik, Lehrstuhl für Kristallographie und Strukturphysik, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bismarckstrasse 10, 91054 Erlangen.
2Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91054 Erlangen.

Compounds of the type [MNT-M-MNT]2- [A]2+ (MNT: S2C2(CN)2; M: metal; A: cation) belong to a series of ionic charge-transfer complexes with remarkable semiconductor properties. They show a variation of the specific conductivity in a wide range [1]. It is assumed that this property is due to a change of the electron density distribution within the metallorganic complex.

It has been shown that it is possible to determine the charge density by x-ray diffraction on a compound with M = Ni and A = 2,[N(CH3)4+] (TMA) [2]. However, due to the lack of data at high scattering angles, the electronic structure of the central Ni-atom could not be resolved. Therefore, the expected p-donor bond between the thiolate lone pairs and empty metal acceptor orbitals [3,4] could not be observed.

More precise measurements and results obtained with the program xd [5] will be presented.

  1. F. Nüslein, R. Peter, H. Kisch. Chem. Ber. 122, (1997).
  2. M. Trenkle, H. Burzlaff, H. Kisch.Z. Krist. Suppl. 15, (1998)
  3. D. Sellmann, J. Sutter. Acc. Chem. Res. 1997, 30, 460-469.
  4. D. Sellmann, M. Wille, F. Knoch Inorg. Chem. 32, No. 11, (1993).
  5. T. Koritsanszky, S.T. Howard, R.P. Mallinson, Z. Su, T. Richter, N.K. Hansen. Berlin (1995)