Syntheses, Structures and Reactivity of Novel Hydrates ofortho-Sulfidostannte Salts

Highly Soluble Supertetrahedra upon Selective Partial Butylation of Chalcogenido Metalate Clusters in Ionic Liquids

Supertetrahedral clusters have been reported in two generally different types so far: one type possessing an organic ligand shell, no or low charges, and high solubility, while the other cluster type is ligand-free with usually high charges and low or no solubility in common solvents. The latter is a tremendous disadvantage regarding further use of the clusters in solution. However, as organic substituents usually broaden the HOMO-LUMO gaps, which cannot be overcompensated by the (limited) cluster sizes, a full organic shielding comes along with drawbacks regarding opto-electronic properties. We therefore sought to find a way of generating soluble clusters with a minimum number of organic substituents. Here, we present the synthesis and full characterization of two salts of [Sn10 O4 S16 (SBu)4 ]4- that are high soluble in CH2 Cl2 or CH3 CN, which includes first NMR and mass spectra obtained from solutions of such salts with mostly inorganic supertetrahedral clusters. The optical absorption properties of this new class of compounds indicates nearly unaffected band gaps. The synthetic approach and the spectroscopic findings were rationalized and explained by means of high-level quantum chemical studies.

Different Chemical Environments of [Ge4Se10]4- in the Li+ Compounds [Li4(H2O)16][Ge4Se10]·4.33H2O, [{Li4(thf)12}Ge4Se10], and [Li2(H2O)8][MnGe4Se10], and Ionic Conductivity of Underlying "Li4Ge4Se10"

The crystalline selenido germanates [Li₄(H₂O)₁₆][Ge₄Se₁₀]·4.3H₂O (1), [{Li₄(thf)₁₂}Ge₄Se₁₀] (2), and [Li₂(H₂O)₈][MnGe₄Se₁₀] (3) (thf = THF = tetrahydrofuran) were obtained by an extraction of a glassy ternary phase of the nominal composition Li₄Ge₄Se₁₀ (=Li₂S·2GeSe₂) with water (1) or THF (2) and slow evaporation of the solvent or by being layered with MnBr₂ in H₂O/MeOH (3), respectively. The compounds contain known selenido germanate anions, however, for the first time with Li⁺ counterions. This is especially remarkable for the prominent _∞³{[MnGe₄Se₁₀]^2-} open-framework structure, which was reported to crystallize with (NMe₄)⁺, Cs⁺, Rb⁺, and K⁺ counterions, but it has not yet been realized with the smallest alkali metal cation. Impedance spectroscopic studies on Li₄Ge₄Se₁₀ classify the glassy solid as a moderate Li⁺ ion conductor.

Ionic Liquid-Driven Formation of and Cation Exchange in Layered Sulfido Stannates - a CH2 Group Makes the Difference

Two types of layered sulfido stannates or a molecular cluster compound are obtained upon ionothermal treatment of the simple sulfido stannate salt K4 [SnS4 ]  ·  4H2 O that is based on binary tetrahedral [SnS4 ]4- anions. The formation of the respective products, novel compounds (C4 C1 C1 Im)2 [Sn3 S7 ] (1 a), (C4 C1 C2 Im)2 [Sn3 S7 ] (1 b), and (C4 C1 C2 Im)2 [Sn4 S9 ] (2) with layered anionic substructures, or the recently reported compound (C4 C1 C1 Im)4+x [Sn10 O4 S16 (SMe)4 ][An]x (A) comprising a molecular cluster anion, is controlled by both the choice of the ionic liquid cation and the reaction temperature. We report the scale-up of the syntheses by a factor of 100 with regard to other reported ionothermal syntheses of related compounds, and a procedure of how to isolate them in phase-pure form - both being rare observations in chalcogenido stannate chemistry in ionic liquids. Moreover, the synthesis of compound 1 a can be achieved by rapid cation exchange starting out from 1 b, which has not been reported for organic cations in any chalcogenido stannate salt to date.

Structural Expansion of Chalcogenido Tetrelates in Ionic Liquids by Incorporation of Sulfido Antimonate Units

Multinary chalcogenido (semi)metalate salts exhibit finely tunable optical properties based on the combination of metal and chalcogenide ions in their polyanionic substructure. Here, we present the structural expansion of chalcogenido germanate(IV) or stannate(IV) architectures with SbIII , which clearly affects the vibrational and optical absorption properties of the solid compounds. For the synthesis of the title compounds, [K4 (H2 O)4 ][Ge4 S10 ] or [K4 (H2 O)4 ][SnS4 ] were reacted with SbCl3 under ionothermal conditions in imidazolium-based ionic liquids. Salt metathesis at relatively low temperatures (120 °C or 150 °C) enabled the incorporation of (formally) Sb3+ ions into the anionic substructure of the precursors, and their modification to form (Cat)16 [Ge2 Sb2 S7 ]6 [GeS4 ] (1) and (Cat)6 [Sn10 O4 S20 ][Sb3 S4 ]2 (2 a and 2 b), wherein Cat=(C4 C1 C1 Im)+ (1 and 2 a) or (C4 C1 C2 Im)+ (2 b). In 1, germanium and antimony atoms are combined to form a rare noradamantane-type ternary molecular anion, six of which surround an {GeS4 } unit in a highly symmetric secondary structure, and finally crystallize in a diamond-like superstructure. In 2, supertetrahedral oxo-sulfido stannate clusters are generated, as known from the ionothermal treatment of the stannate precursor alone, yet, linked here into unprecedented one-dimensional strands with {Sb3 S4 } units as linkers. We discuss the single-crystal structures of these uncommon salts of ternary and quaternary chalcogenido (semi)metalate anions, as well as their Raman and UV-visible spectra.

Current advances in tin cluster chemistry

This perspective summarizes highlights and most recent advances in tin cluster chemistry, thereby addressing the whole diversity of (mostly) discrete units containing tin atoms. Although being a (semi-)metallic element, tin is in the position to occur both in formally positive or negative oxidation states in these molecules, which causes a broad range of fundamentally different properties of the corresponding compounds. Tin(iv) compounds are not as oxophilic and not as prone to hydrolysis as related Si or Ge compounds, hence allowing for easier handling and potential application. Nevertheless, their reactivity is high due to an overall reduction of bond energies, which makes tin clusters interesting candidates for functional compounds. Beside aspects that point towards bioactivity or even medical applications, materials composed of naked or ligand-protected tin clusters, with or without bridging ligands, show interesting optical, and ion/molecule-trapping properties.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Rare Transition-Metal Oxothiostannate and Investigation of Its Photocatalytic Properties

The new transition-metal oxothiostannate [Ni(cyclen)(H₂O)₂]₄[Sn₁₀S₂₀O₄]·∼13H₂O (1) was prepared under hydrothermal conditions using Na₄SnS₄·14H₂O as the precursor in the presence of [Ni(cyclen)(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂·H₂O. Compound 1 comprises the [Sn₁₀S₂₀O₄]^8- anion constructed by the T3-type supertetrahedron [Sn₁₀S₂₀] and the [Sn₁₀O₄] anti-T2 cluster. Channels host the H₂O molecules, and the sample can be reversibly dehydrated and rehydrated without significantly affecting the crystallinity of the material. ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy of an aqueous solution of Na₄SnS₄·14H₂O evidences that between 25 and 120 °C only [SnS₄]^4- and [Sn₂S₆]^4- anions are present. In further experiments, hints were found that the formation of tin oxosulfide ions depends on the Ni²⁺-centered complexes. Compound 1 exhibits promising photocatalytic properties for the visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction, with 18.7 mmol·g^-1 H₂ being evolved after 3 h.

Smallest molecular chalcogenidometalate anions of the heaviest metals: syntheses, structures, and their interconversion

The syntheses of the first molecular meta-selenidomercurate(ii), ortho-telluridothallate(iii) and a hydrate of an ortho-selenidoplubate(iv) are presented alongside an improved and facile synthesis of the selenidobismuthate(iii) with almost quantitative yields. By means of quantum chemical calculations, the energetics of the interconversions of small metalate anions is discussed and the existence of the heaviest homologues of [NO2](-), [NO3](-), [PO4](2-) and [CO3](2-) are predicted.

Utilization of mixtures of aromatic N-donor ligands of different coordination ability for the solvothermal synthesis of thiostannate containing molecules

Utilization of mixtures of differently coordinating aromatic N-donor ligands leads to the formation of the two new compounds {[Ni(phen)2]2Sn2S6}·4,4'-bipy·½H2O I and {[Ni(phen)2]2Sn2S6}·2,2'-bipy II that could be prepared under solvothermal conditions (4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine, C10H8N2; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, C12H8N2; 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, C10H8N2). In the structures of both compounds Ni-S bond formation is observed which is highly unusual when only bidentate N-donor ligands are applied in the reaction mixture. The detailed analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the presence of 4,4'-bipy and 2,2'-bipy molecules are essential for the stabilization of the arrangement of the constituents. The main structural motif {[Ni(phen)2]2Sn2S6} is arranged generating off center parallel stacking of the phen ligands. The empty spaces between the {[Ni(phen)2]2Sn2S6} moieties are occupied by either 2,2'-bipy (I) or 4,4'-bipy (II) molecules which are oriented towards the phen ligands to form intermolecular π-π interactions.

Trilithium thio-arsenate octa-hydrate

The title compound, Li₃AsS₄·8H₂O, is built up from infinite cationic [Li₃(H₂O)₈]³⁺ chains which extend along [001] and are cross-linked by isolated tetra­hedral AsS₄³⁻ anions via O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds. Two Li and two As atoms lie on special positions with site symmetries -1 (1 × Li) and 2 (1 × Li and 2 × As). The [Li₃(H₂O)₈]³⁺ chain contains four independent Li atoms of which two are in octa­hedral and two in tetra­hedral coordination by water O atoms. An outstanding feature of this chain is a linear group of three edge-sharing LiO₆ octa­hedra to both ends of which two LiO₄ tetra­hedra are attached by face-sharing. Such groups of composition Li₅O₁₆ are linked into branched chains by means of a further LiO₄ tetra­hedron sharing vertices with four adjacent LiO₆ octa­hedra. The Li—O bonds range from 1.876 (5) to 2.054 (6) Å for the LiO₄ tetra­hedra and from 2.026 (5) to 2.319 (5) Å for the LiO₆ octa­hedra. The two independent AsS₄³⁻ anions have As—S bond lengths ranging from 2.1482 (6) to 2.1677 (6) Å [<As—S> = 2.161 (10) Å]. The eight independent water mol­ecules of the structure donate 16 relatively straight O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds to all S atoms of the AsS₄ tetra­hedra [<O⋯S> = 3.295 (92) Å]. Seven water mol­ecules are in distorted tetra­hedral coordination by two Li and two S; one water mol­ecule has a flat pyramidal coordination by one Li and two S. At variance with related compounds like Schlippe’s salt, Na₃SbS₄·9H₂O, there are neither alkali–sulfur bonds nor O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds in the structure.