NEW MOLECULAR-BASED ROUTES TO BINARY MAIN-GROUP METAL SULFIDES

Metal thiolates of the general formula M(SR)(2) (M = Pb,Zn, Cd) and Cl -Hg-SR (R = alkyl) have been prepared and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopic techniques, TGA and, in selected cases, single crystal X -ray diffraction. The metal bis(thiolate) compounds can be converted i nto the related metal sulfides by thermolyses. The solid state materia ls have been characterized by XRPD, SEM and, in selected cases, by par ticle size determination. The volatile pyrolytic co-products have been isolated and characterized by GC/MS. The decomposition pathways of me rcury chlorothiolates are more complicated and depend on the nature of the organic group present in Cl-Hg-SR.