Spirocyclic, macrocyclic and ladder complexes of coinage metals and mercury with dichalcogeno P2N2-supported anions.

Metathetical reactions of alkali-metal derivatives of the dianion (t)BuN(Se)P(μ-N(t)Bu)2P(Se)N(t)Bu ((2Se2-)) with Ag(NHC)Cl, Ag[BF4], AuCl(THT) and HgCl2, as well as the reaction of 2S(2-) with AuCl(THT) were investigated. The observed products all incorporate the monoprotonated ligands 2SeH(-) or 2SH(-) in a variety of structural arrangements around the metal centres, including tetrameric and trimeric macrocycles [Ag and Au (E = Se)], a ladder (Au, E = S) and a spirocycle (Hg); the ladder contains both the dianion 2S(2-) and the monoanion 2SH(-) as ligands linking three Au2 units. All complexes have been characterised in the solid state by single crystal X-ray analyses and in solution by multinuclear ((1)H, (31)P and (77)Se) NMR spectra.