Chalcogen rich lanthanide clusters from halide starting materials (II): selenido compounds

Lanthanides reduce mixtures of I(2) and PhSeSePh in THF, and the resultant heteroligand mixture reacts further with elemental Se in pyridine to give (THF)(6)Ln(4)I(2)(SeSe)(4)(mu(4)-Se).THF (Ln = Tm, Ho, Er, Yb). These selenium rich clusters contain a square array of Ln(III) ions connected through a single (mu(4)-Se) ligand. There are two I(-) ligands coordinating nonadjacent Ln(III) ions on the side of the cluster opposite the (mu(4)-Se), and the edges of the square are bridged by mu(2)-SeSe groups. The electronic spectrum of the Yb compound contains two absorption maxima that can tentatively be assigned as Se(2-) to Yb and SeSe to Yb charge-transfer absorptions, by comparison with the featureless absorption spectra of the Tm, Ho, and Er derivatives. With a 1/1/1/1 Yb/I/Ph(2)S(2)/Se stoichiometry, chalcogen rich compounds are not obtained, but instead, in Yb chemistry, the selenido cluster (THF)(10)Yb(6)Se(6)I(6) can be isolated in 51% yield. The molecular structure of this compound contains a Yb(4)Se(4) cubane fragment, with an additional Yb(2)Se(2) layer capping one face of the cube. Each Yb coordinates a terminal I(-). This intensely colored compound also has an absorption maximum in the visible spectrum. Upon thermolysis, the selenium rich compounds give Ln(2)Se(3) that is free of iodide contamination.