Mechanochemical Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of the Mixed-Valent Binary Silver(I,II) Fluorides, AgI2AgIIF4 and AgIAgIIF3

J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Nov 6;146(44):30510-30517. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c11772. Epub 2024 Oct 24.

Abstract

Fluoridoargentates(II) represent a fascinating class of silver(II) compounds with structural and magnetic similarities to cuprate superconductors. However, their synthesis is challenging, leaving their properties largely underexplored and hindering the discovery of new phases. This study introduces mechanochemistry as a novel approach for the synthesis of fluoridoargentates(II), avoiding the use of anhydrous HF or elemental fluorine and employing readily available equipment. Notably, ball milling of commercially available precursors successfully produced the long-sought-after first two examples of binary mixed-valent silver(I,II) phases, AgI2AgIIF4 (Ag3F4) and AgIAgIIF3 (Ag2F3). While the AgI2AgIIF4 phase was obtained at room temperature, the AgIAgIIF3 phase is metastable and required milling under cryogenic conditions. Characterization by synchrotron powder X-ray and neutron diffraction revealed that AgI2AgIIF4 crystallizes in the P21/c space group and is isostructural to β-K2AgF4. In this crystal structure, [AgIIF2F4/2]2- distorted octahedral units with 4 + 2 coordination, extend parallel to a-crystallographic axis giving a quasi-one-dimensional canted antiferromagnetic character, as shown by magnetic susceptibility. The triclinic perovskite AgIAgIIF3 phase adopts the P1̅ space group, is isostructural to AgCuF3 and also shows features of a one-dimensional antiferromagnet. This mechanochemical approach, also successfully applied to synthesize β-K2AgF4, is expected to expand the field of silver(II) chemistry, accelerating the search for silver analogs to cuprate superconductors and potentially extending to other cations in unusual oxidation states.