Investigations on organo-sulfur-nitrogen rings and the thiocyanogen Polymer, (SCN)x.

The synthesis and full characterisation of a series of 1,2,4-thiadiazoles is reported. (SCN)(x) has been studied by a variety of techniques and the data compared with 1,2,4-thiadiazole and 1,2,4-dithiazoles. The observed data suggest that the polymer consists of 1,2,4-dithiazole rings linked by nitrogen atoms. For (SCN)(x), the MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy showed a parent ion at 1149 and a series of peaks with (SCN)(2) repeat units (116 m/z); this result implies that (SCN)(2) may be the monomer unit of the polymer. Its IR spectrum shows a very broad peak with maximum at 1134 cm(-1) consisting of several overlapping peaks in the same region as ring vibrations for 1,2,4-thiadiazole and 1,2,4-dithiazole compounds. Peaks in the Raman spectrum in the range 400-480 cm(-1) support the presence of disulfide units within the polymer. The solid-state (13)C NMR (99 % (13)C-labelled) spectrum is dominated by two singlets of equal intensity at approximately 187 and 184 ppm with low intensity peaks in the range 152-172 ppm, in approximately the same range as both 1,2,4-thiadiazoles and 1,2,4-dithiazoles. The solid-state (15)N NMR (99 % (15)N labelled) spectrum displays two major peaks of similar intensity at 236.9 and 197.2 ppm, which are clearly very different environments to those observed in bis(3-bromo-1,2,4-thiadiazol-5-yl) disulfide, but similar to 1,2,4-dithiazoles. The X-ray structures of seven C-S-N systems are reported. Preliminary studies on (SeCN)(x) suggest that literature references to this polymer may be in error with the red solid actually being red selenium.

E2(CN)2 (E = S, Se) and related compounds.

A synthetic, spectroscopic, and theoretical study of Ex(CN)2 (E = S, Se; x = 1-3) is described. The X-ray structures of Se2(CN)2 and Se3(CN)2 have been determined. Se2(CN)2 crystallizes in a chiral space group with the CN groups approximately gauche.

Synthesis and characterisation of triselenocarbonate [CSe3]2- complexes.

[Pt(CSe3)(PR3)2] (PR3= PMe3, PMe2Ph, PPh3, P(p-tol)3, 1/2 dppp, 1/2 dppf) were all obtained by the reaction of the appropriate metal halide containing complex with carbon diselenide in liquid ammonia. Similar reaction with [Pt(Cl)2(dppe)] gave a mixture of triselenocarbonate and perselenocarbonate complexes. [{Pt(mu-CSe3)(PEt3)}4] was formed when the analogous procedure was carried out using [Pt(Cl)2(PEt3)2]. Further reaction of [Pt(CSe3)(PMe2Ph)2] with [M(CO)6] (M = Cr, W, Mo) yielded bimetallic species of the type [Pt(PMe2Ph)2(CSe3)M(CO)5] (M = Cr, W, Mo). The dimeric triselenocarbonate complexes [M{(CSe3)(eta5-C5Me5)}2] (M = Rh, Ir) and [{M(CSe3)(eta6-p-MeC6H4(i)Pr)}2] (M = Ru, Os) have been synthesised from the appropriate transition metal dimer starting material. The triselenocarbonate ligand is Se,Se' bidentate in the monomeric complexes. In the tetrameric structure the exocyclic selenium atoms link the four platinum centres together.

Synthesis and characterisation of cyanodithioimidocarbonate [C2N2S2]2- complexes.

[PPh4]2[M(C2N2S2)2](M = Pt, Pd) and [Pt(C2N2S2)(PR3)2](PR3= PMe2Ph, PPh3) and [Pt(C2N2S2)(PP)](PP = dppe, dppm, dppf) were all obtained by the reaction of the appropriate metal halide containing complex with potassium cyanodithioimidocarbonate. The dimeric cyanodithioimidocarbonate complexes [[Pt(C2N2S2)(PR3)]2](PR3 = PMe2Ph), [M[(C2N2S2)(eta5-C5Me5)]2](M = Rh, Ir)and [[Ru(C2N2S2)(eta6-p-MeC6H4iPr)]2] have been synthesised from the appropriate transition metal dimer starting material. The cyanodithioimidocarbonate ligand is S,S and bidentate in the monomeric complexes with the terminal CN group being approximately coplanar with the CS2 group and trigonal at nitrogen thus reducing the planar symmetry of the ligand. In the dimeric compound one of the sulfur atoms bridges two metal atoms with the core exhibiting a cubane-like geometry.