Synthesis,Structure, and Optical Properties of New Cadmium Chalcogenide Clusters of the Type [Cd10E4(E'Ph)12(PR3)4], (E,E' = Te,Se, S)

New cadmium chalcogenide cluster molecules Cd₁₀E₄(E'Ph)₁₂(PⁿPr₃)₄], E = Te, E' = Te ( 1 ) and Cd₁₀E₄(E'Ph)₁₂ (PⁿPr₂Ph)₄] E = Te, E' = Se ( 2 ); E = Te E' = S ( 3 ); E = Se, E' = S ( 4 ) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X‐ray structure analysis. The influence of the variation of the chalcogen atom is investigated by structural means and by optical spectroscopy. All cluster‐molecules have a broad emission in the blue‐visible range at low temperature as indicated by photo luminescence (PL) measurements. A clear classification of the emission peak position can be made based on the E' species suggesting that the emission is assigned to transitions associated with the cluster surface ligands. Photoluminescence excitation and absorption measurements display a systematic shift of the band gap to the higher energies with the variation of E and E' from Te to Se to S, as also occurs in the respective series of the bulk semiconductors.