Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Properties of Mn(NCS)₂ Coordination Compounds with 4‐Picoline as Coligand and Crystal Structure of Mn(NCS)₂

Reaction of Mn(NCS)₂ with 4-picoline (4-methylpyridine) leads to the formation of [Mn(NCS)₂(4-picoline)₄]·0.67·4-picoline·0.33·H₂O (1-Mn) reported in literature, Mn(NCS)₂(4-picoline)₂(H₂O)₂ (2-Mn/H₂O), and of [Mn(NCS)₂(4-picoline)₂]_n (2-Mn/I). 1-Mn and 2-Mn/H₂O consist of discrete complexes, in which the metal cations are octahedrally coordinated, whereas in 2-Mn/I the metal cations are linked by pairs of μ-1,3-bridging thiocyanate anions into corrugated chains. Measurements using thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry as well as temperature dependent X-ray powder diffraction on 1-Mn and 2-Mn/H₂O reveal that upon heating both compounds transform into [Mn(NCS)₂(4-picoline)]_n (3-Mn) via 2-Mn/I as intermediate. 3-Mn shows a very rare chain topology in which the metal cations are linked by μ-1,3,3 (N,S,S) coordinating anionic ligands which was never observed before with Mn^II. From these investigations there is no hint that a further modification of 2-Mn can be prepared as recently observed for [M(NCS)₂(4-picoline)₂]_n (M = Fe, Cd) and such a form is also not available if the metastable forms of the Fe^II or Cd^II compounds were used as template during thermal decomposition. Magnetic investigations on 2-Mn/H₂O show only paramagnetic behavior, whereas for 2-Mn/I antiferromagnetic ordering is observed. Finally, the crystal [...]