The First Two Examples of (R)-2-Chloromandelato Coordination Polymers: Synthesis, Structure, Magnetic and Ferroelectric Properties

Both (R)-2-Chloromandelato coordination polymers, [Cu(Clma)2] n 1 and [Mn(H2O)(Clma)2] n 2, crystallizing in the polar chiral monoclinic space group P21 represent the first two examples of metal complexes with (R)-2-Chloromandelic acid (HClma) ligand. Through the (R)-2-Chloromandelate Clma− ions, the penta- and hexa-coordinated metal atoms in 1 and 2 are linked into chains, ∞ 1 {[Cu(Clma)](Clma)2/2} n and ∞ 1 {[Mn(H2O)(Clma)](Clma)2/2} n , respectively, and further assembled into 3D supramolecular architectures via hydrogen bonding and close packing interactions. They exhibit ferroelectricity (Pr = 0.03 and 0.01 μC cm−2, Ec = 5.09 and 0.52 kV cm−1, Ps = 0.10 and 0.17 μC cm−2, respectively). The magnetic behaviors of 1 and 2 can be interpreted by means of a 1D chain model, where the magnetic exchanges are transmitted via carboxylate groups between metal atoms, and the best fit results in J = 2.97, −0.15 cm−1 for 1 and 2, suggesting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, respectively.