Abstract
Heterometallic Group II/rare earth (RE) thiolates, selenolates, and tellurolates have a broad range of potential applications in the rapidly developing field of RE-doped semiconductor technology . Given the tendency of RE chalcogenolates to form polymetallic species with bridging chalcogenolate ligands, we reasoned that RE complexes of the heavier chalcogenolates could be stabilized by bridging the chalcogenide to a softer Group II metal to form heterometallic compounds. In this paper, we show that such stabilization is significant, and we describe the isolation and structural characterization of the first two examples of a broad class of heterometallic chalcogenolate complexes having the general formula MM[prime](EPh)[sub x](L)[sub y] [M = Zn, Cd, Hg; M[prime] = divalent (x = 4) or trivalent (x = 5) rare earth; E = S, Se, Te; L = THF, pyridine]. 9 refs., 1 fig.