From Mercury Ditellurolates

Mercury bis[benzenetellurolate] and sodium benzenetellurolate in liquid ammonia formed a tris[benzenetellurolato]mercurate(II) anion that was isolated as the tetraphenylphos-phonium salt. This salt and tetraphenylphosphonium benzenetellurolate combined in chloroform solution to give the tetraphenylphosphonium salt of undecakis[henzenetellur-olato ] trimer curate.  

Tetraphenylphosphonium Tris[benzcnetellurolato]mercuratc(II)T 0.68 g (3.0 mmol) of sodium benzenetellurolate and 2.16 g (3.3 mmol) of mercury bis[benzenetellurolatc] are dissolved in 30 mt of liquid ammonia, and this solution is poured into 70 ml of liquid ammonia containing 2.25 g (6 mmol) of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride. The resultant mixture is filtered, the soUd is washed five times with boiling liquid ammonia, and then dissolved in a small amount of tetrahydrofuran. Ethanol is added to this solution to precipitate the amber-colored solid which is stable in dry air but decomposes in sunlight yield 2.8 g (80%) m.p. 130 (dec.). 

The tris[benzenetellurolato]mercurate(II) is trigonal planar with a propeller-like arrangement of the ligands . 

When mercury bis[benzenetellurolate], bis[triorganophosphane]mercury perchlorate, and triorganophosphane were stirred in dichloromethane, chloroform, or acetone at 20°, cluster compounds of mercury containing tellurolate and phosphane ligands were formed.  

The clusters with four phosphane ligands in the molecule were obtained when the reagents were used in a 3 1 2 molar ratio.  

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