Unique direct synthesis of cyanide-bridged Fe2Cu2 molecular squares by destruction of sodium nitroprusside

The one-pot reaction of copper powder, sodium nitroprusside, ammonium thiocyanate and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) in acetonitrile solution at ambient conditions of air and water yields the novel heterometallic [Fe2Cu2(bpy)6(μ-CN)4(NCS)2]2[Fe(CN)5(NO)](NCS)2·5H2O complex 1, which has been structurally and magnetically characterized. The most prominent feature of this complex is the unique tetranuclear image squares comprised [Cu(bpy)NCS]+ and [Fe(bpy)2]2+ corners with CN edges. The Cu⋯Cu and Fe⋯Fe separations are ∼6.72 and ∼7.73 Å, respectively. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility study revealed that a very weak antiferromagnetic coupling is active between Cu(II) centers (JCuCu = −0.37 cm−1).