SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ZINTL ANIONS CONTAINING THE TRIS(ETHYLENEDIAMINE)-ZINC CATION - [ZN(N2C2H8)(3)][TE-3]CENTER-DOT(0.5EN) AND [ZN(N2C2H8)(3)](2)[SN2TE6]CENTER-DOT(EN)

Two Zintl anions which contain the [tris(ethylenediamine)-zinc](2+) ca tion have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-cr ystal X-ray diffraction. When a constant current of 1 mA is applied be tween a ZnTe10 alloy cathode and a Ni plate anode, in a saturated solu tion of tetrapropylammonium bromide in ethylenediamine, a deep red-pur ple solution is generated around the cathode as polyanions are generat ed. After a few days, small, black crystals formed, which were identif ied by single crystal X-ray diffraction as [Zn(N2C2H8)(3)][Te-3]. 0.5( N2C2H8) (1). The 1:1:1 stoichiometric reaction of the Zintl phase K4Sn Te4 with ZnCl2 in the presence of (C2H5)(4)NBr in ethylenediamine at 1 00 degrees C for 1 day in a sealed evacuated quartz tube gave crystals of [Zn(N2C2H8)(3)](2)[Sn2Te6].(en) (2). The structures of 1 and 2 con sist of discrete anions which are surrounded in the solid state by the tris(ethylenediamine)-zinc cations. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.