[Cs6 Cl][Fe24 Se26 ]: A Host-Guest Compound with Unique Fe-Se Topology

Abstract

The novel host-guest compound [Cs6Cl][Fe24Se26] (I4/mmm; a=11.0991(9), c=22.143(2) Å) was obtained by reacting Cs2Se,CsCl, Fe, and Se in closed ampoules. This is the first member of a family of compounds with unique Fe-Se topology, which consists of edge-sharing, extended fused cubane [Fe8Se6Se8/3] blocks that host a guest complex ion, [Cs6Cl](5+). Thus Fe is tetrahedrally coordinated and divalent with strong exchange couplings, which results in an ordered antiferromagnetic state below TN =221 K. At low temperatures, a distribution of hyperfine fields in the Mössbauer spectra suggests a structural distortion or a complex spin structure. With its strong Fe-Se covalency, the compound is close to electronic itinerancy and is, therefore, prone to exhibit tunable properties.

Keywords: Mössbauer spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; inorganic synthesis; iron; magnetic properties.