Synthesis, structural characterization and growth features of some (Ph)Se–Cd cluster compounds (Ph = phenyl)

Abstract Cd(SePh) 2 , CdBr 2 ·4H 2 O/CdI 2 and PCh 3 (Ph = phenyl; PCh 3  = tricyclohexylphosphine) react to give [(SePh) 2 Cd 2 Br 2 (PCh 3 ) 2 ] ( 1 ), [(SePh) 2 Cd 2 I 2 (PCh 3 ) 2 ] ( 2 ) and [(SePh) 7 Cd 4 Br(PCh 3 )] n ( 3 ). The new compounds are examples of Cd(II) clusters obtained starting from the cluster-forming reagents Cd(SePh) 2 and CdX 2 (X = Br, I) in the presence of variable amounts of PCh 3 . While 1 and 2 are single, tetranuclear clusters, compound 3 attains polymeric adamantanoid cages linked through selenium bridges.