Dr. James A. Ibers, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division for research into soluble metal selenides and tellurides. The objective of the project is to develop the chemistry of metal-selenium and tellurium anionic clusters, species which are known to differ markedly from corresponding metal-sulfides. Varied synthetic techniques, which are based on the reactions of metal compounds with polyselenides or polytellurides in non-aqueous solvents, on chalcogenide substitution reactions, and on reduction of metal chalcogenides by alkali metals in liquid ammonia, will be designed. The compounds will be characterized by selenium and tellurium nmr and by x-ray diffraction. Selenium and tellurium, often combined with small amounts of other metals, are widely used as components in semiconductors and other advanced materials. In this project new routes will be developed for the preparation of substances composed of several selenium or tellurium atoms and one or a few metal atoms. These 'clusters' will be designed to bear an electrical charge, which will result in their being soluble in various solvents. As such they may find use in the formation of new electronic substances.
