Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Bis(tetraethylammonium) Octabromo‐triselenate(II)‐{dibromodiselenate(I)}, [NEt4]2[Se3Br8(Se2Br2)], the Salt of a Mixed‐valence Bromoselenate(II, I) Anion

Abstract

AbstractThe brown crystals of [NEt4]2[Se3Br8(Se2Br2)] (1) were obtained when selenium and bromine reacted in the solution of acetonitrile in the presence of tetraethylammonium bromide. The crystal structure of 1 has been determined by the X‐ray methods and refined to R = 0.0308 for 10433 reflections. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P21 with Z = 2 and a = 12.0393(3) Å, b = 11.8746(3) Å, c = 13.1946(3) Å, β = 96.561(1)° (123 K). In the solid state structure the anion of 1 is built up of Se3Br8 unit which consists of a triangular arrangement of three planar SeBr4 units sharing a common edge through two μ3‐bridging Br atoms, and one Se2Br2 molecule which is linked to one of μ3‐bridging Br atoms. The three SeII atoms form a triangle which is almost perpendicular to the planes given by three SeBr4 moieties. The contact between the μ3Br and the SeI atom of the Se2Br2 molecule is 3.1711(8) Å and can be interpreted as a bond of the donor‐acceptor type with the μ3Br as donor and the Se2Br2 molecule as acceptor. The terminal SeII‐Br and μ3Br‐SeII bond lengths are in the ranges 2.3537(7)–2.4737(7) Å and 2.7628(7)–3.1701(7) Å, respectively. The bond lengths in coordinated Se2Br2 molecule are: SeI‐SeI = 2.2636(9) Å, SeI‐Br = 2.3387(11) and 2.3936(8) Å.