Chalcogen-rich lanthanide clusters with fluorinated thiolate ligands

Mixtures of Ln(SC(6)F(5))(3) and Ln(EPh)(3) (E = S, Se) react with elemental E to give chalcogen-rich clusters with fluorinated thiolate ancillary ligands. The structures of both (THF)(6)Yb(4)S(SS)(4)(SC(6)F(5))(2) and (THF)(6)Yb(4)Se(SeSe)(4)(SC(6)F(5))(2) have been established by low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both compounds contain a square array of Yb(III) ions connected by a central mu(4)-E(2-) ligand. The edges of the square Yb(4) array are bridged by four mu(2)(EE) ligands, and two terminal SC(6)F(5) are on the same side of the Ln(4) plane that is capped by the mu(4)-E(2-) ion. Redox inactive (THF)(6)Tm(4)Se(SeSe)(4)(SC(6)F(5))(2) was also prepared to establish the extension of this chemistry to the redox inactive Ln. These clusters are soluble in toluene.