‘Chimie douce’ synthesis, crystal and electronic structures of the novel Hg~4.2Mo15X19 (X = S, Se) compounds containing Hg3, Mo6 and Mo9 clusters

Abstract

Abstract The new compounds Hg~4.2Mo15X19 (X = S, Se) were obtained by inserting mercury into the metastable Mo15X19 compounds at low temperature. Their crystal structures, determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, show that the molybdenum–chalcogenide network is maintained through the synthesis. It consists of an equal mixture of Mo6X8X6 and Mo9X11X6 cluster units interconnected through Mo–X bonds as in the parent compounds. In both compounds, the mercury is present either as Hg2+ cations or forming linear clusters Hg32+. It is the first time that the latter cluster is observed in a chalcogen environment. To cite this article: D. Salloum et al., C. R. Chimie 8 (2005).