[{(C5Me5)2Nb}2PdTe4], a heterometallic palladium telluride cluster with a planar PdTe4 fragment

The reaction of [Cp2∗Nb(Te2H)] (Cp∗ = η5-C5Me5) with [Pd(DBA)2] (DBA = dibenzylidenacetone) in the presence of bis(diphenylphosphanyl)methane gave the new tetratelluropalladate cluster [(Cp2∗Nb)2PdTe4] (1). Characteristic structural feature of 1 is a planar PdTe4 rectangle, which is in striking contrast to related WTe4 (tetrahedral) and NiTe4 (distorted tetrahedral) complexes bearing niobocene groups.