Heterobinuclear complexes, [S2MS2M'I-2](2-) (M = Mo, W; M' = Cd, Hg, Z
n), have been synthesized as PPh4- salts by reacting [M'I-4](2-) with
[MS4](2-). The complexes are characterized by nu (metal-sulphur) termi
nal, nu (metal-sulphur) bridging and nu (metal-iodine) terminal vibrat
ions in their IR spectra. The single-crystal X-ray structure analysis
of (PPh4)(2)[S2WS2CdI2] (1) reveals a two-fold anionic disorder. The c
oordination geometries about the metal centers in the anions [S2WS2CdI
2](2-), containing planar [WS2Cd] cores, are best described as distort
ed edge-shared bitetrahedra. The oxidation states of cadmium and tungs
ten in a sulfur environment in 1 have been confirmed by X-ray photoele
ctron spectroscopy. Zn-II and Cd-II complexes each show a single metal
centered irreversible cyclic voltammetric response essentially locali
sed within [MS4](2) ligands. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.