The reactivity of Se 4N 4 in liquid ammonia

Abstract

Tetraselenium-tetranitride, Se 4N 4, dissolves in liquid ammonia at high pressure ( ca 50 atm.) and reacts with PtCl 2(PMe 2Ph) 2 to give Pt(Se 2N 2)(PMe 2Ph) 2 in quantitative yield. If the reaction is performed using Se 4 15N 4 the product is obtained with a low (<20%) degree of 15N labelling; in contrast Se 14 15N 4 may be recrystallized from ammonia with no loss of 15N content, indicating that, unlike S 4N 4, it does not react with ammonia as it dissolves.