First example of monodispersed (Mo3Se3)1∞ clusters

The close relationship of the structure of ternary molybdenum chalcogenides to molecular cluster compounds suggests that these chalcogenides might be synthesized from such clusters or be solubilized as clusters. However, in contrast to molybdenum halide clusters which can be obtained in solution from the solid phase, many attempts to solubilize these chalcogenide clusters were unsuccessful. This is the first report that some of the pseudo-one-dimensional compounds (M₂Mo₆X₆, X = Se, Te; M = Li, Na) can be dissolved when exposed to highly polar solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide or N-methylformamide. We show using optical microscopy, TEM, and light scattering that some of these solutions contain individual (Mo₃X₃)¹_∞ chains. This is also the first example of a purely inorganic transition-metal polymer solution. The behavior with respect to flocculation is consistent with the double layer theory. We show that the (Mo₃X₃)¹_∞ chains can be oriented in solution.