Zinc, Cadmium, and Mercury Complexes with Fluorinated Selenolate Ligands

Reductive cleavage of C6F5SeSeC6F5 with elemental M (M = Zn, Cd, and Hg) in pyridine results in the formation of (py)2Zn(SeC6F5)2, (py)2Cd(SeC6F5)2, and Hg(SeC6F5)2. Structural characterization of the Zn and Cd compounds reveals tetrahedral coordination environments, while the Hg compound shows a complicated series of linear structures with two short, nearly linear Hg−Se bonds, up to two longer and perpendicular Hg···Se interactions, and no coordinated pyridine ligands. All three compounds exhibit well-defined intermolecular π−π-stacking interactions in the solid state. They are volatile and decompose at elevated temperatures to give MSe and either (SeC6F5)2 or Se(C6F5)2.