With support from the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program, Professor James A. Ibers will explore the chemistry of soluble transition metal compounds of the chalcogenides, that group of elements which includes oxygen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium. A practical reason for studying these species is their close relationship to metal sulfides and selenides which are used as electronic materials. The project will emphasize the chemistry of soluble transition metal selenides. Mixed-metal complexes of tetraselenido- tungstate(II) and of tetraselenidomolybdate(II), as well as of the higher cogeners, such as hexaselenidoditungstate(II), will be synthesized and characterized. Solution methods will be used to synthesize new transition metal selenide complex ions with metals other than tungsten or molybdenum, as well as new mixed alkyl selenolate/selenide species. Solid-state routes to new transition metal chalcogenide ions will be investigated also. Finally, the reaction chemistry of the soluble chalcogenide species will be studied, with initial emphasis on their reactions with activated acetylenes.
