Doping effect of nonmagnetic impurity on the spin-Peierls-like transition in the quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) spin system of 1-(4′-nitrobenzyl)pyridinium bis(maleonitriledithiolato)nickelate

Abstract

A nonmagnetic compound, [NO 2BzPy][Cu(mnt) 2] (mnt 2− = maleonitriledithiolate; NO 2BzPy + = 1-(4′-nitrobenzyl)pyridinium), is isostructural with [NO 2BzPy][Ni(mnt) 2], which is a quasi-1D spin system and exhibits a spin-Peierls-like transition with J = 192 K in the gapless state and spin energy gap = 738 K in the dimerization state, respectively. Further, five nonmagnetic impurity doped compounds [NO 2BzPy][Cu x Ni 1− x (mnt) 2] ( x = 0.04–0.74) were prepared, and their crystal structures as well as magnetic properties were investigated. The nonmagnetic doping causes the suppression of the spin transition with an average rate of 139(13) K/percentage of dopant concentration, and the transition collapse is estimated at around x > 0.5.