Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of nickel(II) chalcogenolates derived from 1,2-diarylchalcogenolato-o-xylene

Nickel(II) chalcogenolate complexes Ni(L-L)₂(dppe) Cl₂] (1, 2) have been prepared in high yields by reacting 1,2-diarylchalcogenolato-o-xylene, o-C₆H₄(CH₂EAr)₂ (E = Se or Te; Ar = Ph, C₆H₄OMe-4 and C₆H₄OEt-4), generated in situ, with Ni(dppe)Cl₂ dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] in benzene. The structures were established by elemental analyses, molar conductance, i.r. and Raman, electronic ¹H- and ³¹P-n.m.r. and mass spectral data. The analytical and spectroscopic data are consistent with an octahedral geometry around nickel in (1) and (2). The ³¹P-n.m.r. spectra indicate their cis configuration in solution. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.