Metal-thiolate chemistry: The structure of the first adamantane-type cation, [(μ-SPh)6(HgPPh3)4]2+
The cosmpound [(μ-SC6H5)6{HgP(C6H5)3}4][ClO4]2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group [Formula: see text] as a bis(chloroform) solvate with cell dimensions a = 15.799(4), b = 26.813(5), c = 15.040(5) Å, α = 96.35(2), β = 114.52(2), γ = 100.45(2)° and two formula units per cell. The crystal and molecular structures of this salt were solved by X-ray diffraction techniques using 9898 counter data with I > 2.5σ(I) recorded at −50(2) °C. Refinement of 477 variables by full-matrix least-squares converged at an agreement factor R = 0.046. The cation has adamantane-type stereochemistry with a (μ-SPh)6Hg4 cage and four terminal triphenylphosphine ligands. The S—Cα vectors of the bridging SC6H5 groups adopt the configuration [aae, aae, aee, aee] with the minimum number of two 1,3-axial, axial substituent interactions. There is a significant flattening of the two Hg3S3 rings with two axial substituents into an envelope conformation; each has two torsion angles less than 25°, instead of the ideal values of ±60° in adamantane. One perchlorate ion is doubly solvated by chloroform molecules in an unusual, weakly hydrogen bonded, [ClO4•2HCCl3]− complex.