Aqueous Telluridoindate Chemistry: Water-Soluble Salts of Monomeric, Dimeric, and Trimeric In/Te Anions [InTe4]5−, [In2Te6]6−, and [In3Te10]11−

Abstract

Water-soluble salts of monomeric, dimeric, and/or trimeric telluridoindate anions, [K(5)(H(2)O)(2.16)][InTe(4)] (1), [K(5)(H(2)O)(5)][InTe(4)] (2), [K(6)(H(2)O)(6)][In(2)Te(6)] (3), [K(16)(H(2)O)(9.62)][InTe(4)](2)[In(2)Te(6)] (4), [K(133)(H(2)O)(24)][In(3)Te(10)](12)Te(0.5) (5), and [Rb(6)(H(2)O)(6)][In(2)Te(6)] (6), were prepared by a fusion/extraction method starting from the elements and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction as well as spectroscopic methods. The compounds are the first hydrates of telluridoindate salts and thus point toward an aqueous coordination chemistry with binary In/Te ligands. Both crystallization from the extracts as mixtures of salts as well as preliminary spectroscopic investigation of the solutions indicate the presence of an equilibrium of different anionic species. Here, the indates differ from related stannates, which also show pH-dependent aggregation, but to a much lesser extent and in a better distinguishable manner. We present syntheses and crystal structures and discuss observation of the coexistence of different anions both in the solid state and in solution.