Indium triiodide complexes of bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) and its disulfide (dppeS(2))

Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) and its disulfide (dppeS(2)) react with two equivalents of indium triiodide to give high yields of the correspondi ng 1:2 adducts. According to crystal tal structure determinations, both com pounds are molecular his-terminal complexes with the ligands in an all-tran s conformation. Contrary to previous findings for complexes of the indium t rihalides and of GaBr3 and GaI3 with ditertiary phosphines in fixed cis-str ucture [bis(diphenylphosphino)ethene or -benzene], no iodide redistribution is observed to give the ionic species [(dppe)InI2](+) [InI4](-). The molec ular structures are also retained in solution.