SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF [M(DMIT)2]2- AND [M(DMT)2]2- COMPLEXES (M = SEII OR TEII - DMIT = 4,5-DIMERCAPTO-1,3-DITHIOLE-2-THIONE AND DMT = 4,5-DIMERCAPTO-1,2-DITHIOLE-3-THIONE)

Reactions of disodium salt of the ligands 4,5-dimercapto-1,3-dithiole- thione [H-2(dmit)] and 4,5-dimercapto-1,2-dithiole-3-thione [H-2(dmt)] with ''sodium selenopentathionate''-3-hydrate [Na2Se(S2O3)2].3H2O and ''sodium telluropentathionate''-2-hydrate [Na2Te(S2O3)2.2H2O, in the presence of cations Me3Te+, Ph4As+, (C5H5)2Co+ and PPN+, yielded the c orresponding complexes of stoichiometry [cation]2[M(dmit)2] and [catio n]2[M(dmt)2]2 (M = Se or Te). These complexes are thermally unstable a nd undergo redox decomposition in solution. Oxidation reactions of the se complexes with iodine or tetracyanoquinodimethane afforded sulphoca rbon C6S10. In order to study the oxidation-reduction process of these complexes, detailed electrochemical investigations have been carried out.