New copper selenium clusters with a sulfur functionalised ligand shell

Abstract

We introduce two new sulfur functionalised phosphines P(C₆H₄SMe)₃L1 and PPh₂C₆H₄SMe L2. Using them as ligands, four new copper selenium clusters were synthesized. The compounds [Cu₁₅Se₃(SePh)₉(P(C₆H₄SMe)₃)₆] 1, [Cu₂₂Se₆(SePh)₁₀(PPh₂C₆H₄SMe)₈] 2, [Cu₂₀Se(SePh)₁₂(OAc)₆(PPh₂C₆H₄SMe)₂] 3 and [Cu₃₈Se₄(SePh)₂₄(OAc)₆(PPh₂C₆H₄SMe)₄] 4 were characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis and demonstrate the coordination of the phosphines through the phosphorus atoms. The thiomethyl groups of the ligands are not coordinated to any metal centre, but are located on the surface of the organic shell of the cluster molecules. This may provide an opportunity for further reactions between the functionalised clusters and metal atoms or surfaces. Furthermore the inner cluster cores show arrangements of copper and selenium atoms not yet found in these kinds of compounds.