Selenium-centered, undecanuclear silver cages surrounded by iodo and dialkyldiselenophosphato ligands. Syntheses, structures, and photophysical properties.

Three clusters [Ag11(mu9-Se)(mu3-I)3{Se2P(OR)2}6] (R = Et, 1; iPr, 2; 2Bu, 3) were isolated from the reaction of [Ag(CH3CN)4](PF6), NH4[Se2P(OR)2], and Bu4NI in a molar ratio of 4:3:1 in CH2Cl2 in 47-55% yield. Compounds 1 and 2 can also be synthesized with high yield from the reaction of Ag10(Se)[Se2P(OR)2]8 with 8 equiv of Bu4NI. In the positive fast atom bombardment mass spectra of 1-3, two major peaks that correspond to the intact molecule with the loss of an iodide ion, [Ag11(mu9-Se)(mu3-I)(2){Se2P(OR)2}6]+, and a diselenophosphate ligand, [Ag11(mu9-Se)(mu3-I)3{Se2P(OR)2}5]+, were identified.