Anionic Heptadecanuclear Silver(I) Cluster Constructed from in Situ Generated 2-Mercaptobenzoic Acid and a Sulfide Anion

A novel anionic heptadecanuclear silver­(I) cluster, (NH4)17[(μ6-S)@Ag17(mba)16]·22H2O (1; H2mba = 2-mercaptobenzoic acid), was obtained by the reaction of equivalent molar silver oxide and 2,2′-dithiodibenzoic acid (H2dtba) under ultrasonic conditions at 50 °C. Complex 1 is a discrete cluster comprised of unexpected mba ligands on the shell and a μ6-S2– ion in the core, suggesting the occurrence of in situ S–S and S–C­(sp2) bond cleavages of the H2dtba ligand. This novel cluster displays moderate orange-red emission in the solid state at room temperature.