Diiodobis(diphenyltelluride)mercury(II), [(Ph2Te)2HgI2]

Diiodobis(diphenyltelluride)mercury(II), (Ph₂Te)₂HgI₂], is formed during the reaction of (PhTe)₂Hg] with HgI₂ in refluxing THF. The same product can be obtained from a pressure reaction between PhTeI₃ and elemental mercury. The mercury atom is co‐ordinated in a distorted tetrahedral environment with I‐Hg‐I angles of 117?. Long range I···Te contacts of about 3.8 Å link the (Ph₂Te)₂HgI₂] units to infinite chains along the b axis of the unit cell.