Structure and physical properties of [mu-tris(1,4-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)butane-N4,N4 ')iron(II)] bis(hexafluorophosphate), a new Fe(II) spin-crossover compound with a three-dimensional threefold interlocked crystal lattice

[mu-Tris(1,4-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)butane-N4,N4')iron(II)] bis(hexafluorophosphate), [Fe(btzb)(3)](PF6)(2), crystallizes in a three-dimensional 3-fold interlocked structure featuring a sharp two-step spin-crossover behavior. The spin conversion takes place between 164 and 182 K showing a discontinuity at about T-1/2 = 174 K and a hysteresis of about 4 K between T-1/2 and the low-spin state. The spin transition has been independently followed by magnetic susceptibility measurements, Fe-57-Mossbauer spectroscopy, and variable temperature far and midrange FIR spectroscopy. The title compound crystallizes in the trigonal space group P (3) over bar (No. 147) with a unit cell content of one formula u…