SYNTHESIS AND X-RAY STRUCTURE OF A SEMICONDUCTING ORGANOMETALLIC SALT [FECP(TOL)](2)[NI(MNT)(2)]

The compound [FeCp(Tol)](2)[Ni(mnt)(2)] has been prepared from [FeCp(Tol)]AlCl4 and Na-2[Ni(mnt)(2)]. This new organometallic radical ionic salt has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, H-1 NMR and mass spectroscopy. The X-ray structure of the compound shows there are segregated cation and anion stacks in the perpendicular directions, The molecular anions form a zig-zag stacking along the b axis, and between every two neighbouring anion planes a methyl group of the cation is inserted. This gives rise to a long spacing of 6.87 Angstrom, between the anion planes. The cations stack along the c axis, with the closest spacing of 3.457 Angstrom between the cyclopentadienyl plane and the neighbouring toluene plane, which is shorter than the sum of Van der Wall's radii. Conductivity measurements showed the compound as a semiconductor with a room temperature conductivity of 1.6 X 10(-4) Scm(-1).