Making practical use of the pseudo-element concept: an efficient way to ternary intermetalloid clusters by an isoelectronic Pb−–Bi combination

Abstract

Syntheses of [K([2.2.2]crypt)]⁺ salts of binary Pb–Bi Zintl anions and their reaction with ZnPh₂ or Ni(cod)₂, yielding ternary intermetalloid Ni–Pb–Bi or Zn–Pb–Bi clusters, proved the use of binary precursors with fully isoelectronic atoms as an efficient and thus valuable synthetic approach to this class of clusters. ²⁰⁷Pb NMR and ESI mass spectra provided insight into the solution behavior of the binary or ternary cages.