Organo-gallium/indium chalcogenide complexes of copper(I): Molecular structures and thermal decomposition to ternary semiconductors

Several organo-gallium/indium chalcogenide complexes of copper(I), stabilized by trialkylphosphines, were isolated, structurally characterized by using single-crystal Xray diffraction, and investigated in thermolysis experiments. The syntheses with [E(Me3Si)2] (E=S, Se) as a starting material and a chalcogen source involve the elimination of volatile silyl acetate, silyl ethers, and methane from copper(I) acetate, and Group 13 metal trimethyl compounds, respectively. Chalcogenide complexes, according to the general formulas [(R3PCu)4(MeM)4E6] (1-6) and [(R3PCu)6(MeM)4M4S13] (7-9; with R=alkyl and M=Ga, In), and mixed chalcogenide-phenylchalcogenolate complexes [(iPr3PCuEPh)3(MeGaE)4] (10, 11) were isolated. The heavy atom cores of 1-6 consist of an octahedron of chalcogen atoms, interpenetrated by a cube of metal atoms. Depending on the steric demand of the phosphine ligands, two constitutions are observed; the metal atoms of the same element either forming tetrahedra, or parallelograms, respectively. This constitutional isomerism is further investigated by quantum chemical calculations. Complexes 7-9 contain a central sulfur atom, surrounded by two interpenetrating tetrahedra of Group 13 metal atoms, an octahedron of copper atoms, and an icosahedron of twelve outer sulfur atoms; the heavy atom framework of 10 and 11 is a "cut-out" of this structure. Thermolysis experiments include thermogravimetry measurements and subsequent Rietveld phase analysis of the residues by using powder X-ray diffraction. The homologous compounds 1, 3, 4, and 6 yield the respective crystalline ternary semiconductor material CuME2 at temperatures below 3008C. Partial release of Me3M during the thermolysis process results in excess copper in the residue and therefore in small amounts of additional binary copper chalcogenide phases or metallic CuM alloys. Compound 8 produces nanocrystalline CuGaS2 at about 300 8C.