Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Chalcogenide Cluster Compound

Three new cluster compounds were synthesized from Hg(EPh)(2) (E = Se, Te; Ph = phenyl) in organic solvents. Two of these compounds, [Hg2Cl2(SePh)(2)(PCy3)(2)], (1), and [Hg2Br2(SePh)(2)(PCy3)(2)], (2), were prepared by reaction of Hg(SePh)(2), HgX2 (X = Cl, Br) and tricyclohexylphosphine, PCy3, in dimethylformamide. The reaction of Hg(TePh)(2) with HgBr2 in tetrahydrofuran using triphenylphosphine or 2,2'-bipyridine as co-ligands gave the polymeric cluster [{Hg5Br3(TePh)(7)}(n)] (3), whose dissolution in dimethylsulfoxide yielded the cluster [Hg3Br3(TePh)(3)]center dot 2dmso. The influence of different ligands, coordinating solvents and reaction stoichiometries on the formation of the title compounds is also discussed. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and single crystal X-ray diffractometry.