COPPER HYDROXIDE BASED ORGANIC INORGANIC FERROMAGNETS/

Layered metal(II)-based carboxylate compounds are shown to be suitable for the design and preparation of new hybrid materials. The structure -magnetic property relationship of these kind of copper derivatives is discussed. Two series of copper(II) n-alkyl carboxylates are compared ; one exhibits unprecedented ferromagnetic interactions for distances as far as 40 Angstrom between the metal layers. Their properties are l inked to a structural transformation of the inorganic layers from Bruc ite-like to Cu(OH)(2) type arrangement. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.