Wheel-shaped indium telluride nanoclusters co-crystallized with metal-phenanthroline complexes

Two wheel-shaped In18Te30 clusters with M-phen complex cations, [M(phen)3]2[In18Te30(dapn)6]·2Hdapn·dapn (M = Fe(II), and Ni(II), dapn = 1.3-diaminepropane), were prepared. The In18Te30 anion shows a double-layered ring structure that assembled by six In2Te6 subunits and six InTe3N tetrahedra. The size of the wheel-shaped clusters is about 1.6 nm. In the crystals clockwise and anticlockwise complex cations [M(phen)3]2+ are coupled through π⋯π interaction forming a dimer structure and the dimers are interacted with the clusters via C⋯Te (about 3.60 Å) short contacts. The sizes of the dimer cation and the anion are well compensated in crystal packing. Although there is wider range absorption of the In–Te anion, the MLCT transition of the Fe-phen cation still contributes to the low energy absorption.

Graphical abstractTwo nano size wheel-shaped In18Te30 clusters with M-phen complex cations were prepared. In the crystals clockwise and anticlockwise complex cations [M(phen)3]2+ are coupled through π⋯π interaction forming a dimer structure and the dimers are interacted with the clusters via C⋯Te short contacts.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide