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(T ol)]AlCl4 and Na-2[Ni(mnt)(2)]. This new organometallic radical ionic salt has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, H-1 NMR and mas s spectroscopy. The X-ray structure of the compound shows there are se gregated 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 i nserted. This gives rise to a long spacing of 6.87 Angstrom, between t he anion planes. The cations stack along the c axis, with the closest spacing of 3.457 Angstrom between the cyclopentadienyl plane and the n eighbouring toluene plane, which is shorter than the sum of Van der Wa ll's radii. Conductivity measurements showed the compound as a semicon ductor with a room temperature conductivity of 1.6 X 10(-4) Scm(-1).