The conductivities of some transition-metal dithiolates and other complexes, their dependences on cation properties, and the role of anion disproportionation

Abstract

The dependences of the conductivities, and their associated activation energies, for three maleonitriledithiolate anions, with Ni or Fe centres, have been studied in relation to the size and redox tendencies of the cations. Phenyl-containing cations and Methylene Blue allow higher conductivities than would be predicted from their radii, largely because of their redox (donor or acceptor) capacities. Sandwich compounds have low conductivities, presumably arising from their predominantly intra- rather than inter-molecular interactions. Comparison of the conductivities of two substances, differing essentially only in the charge of an ion, shows them to be related to the ease of disproportionation of the ions acting as transfer centres.