Fine-tuning of optical properties with salts of discrete or polymeric, heterobimetallic telluride anions [M4(μ4-Te)(SnTe4)4]10− (M = Mn, Zn, Cd, Hg) and 3∞{[Hg4(μ4-Te)(SnTe4)3]6−}

Abstract

Compounds with first discrete M/Sn/Te anions—exhibiting a series of optical absorption energies in the semiconductor range—are obtained by reactions of K⁺ or Rb⁺ salts of [SnTe₄]⁴⁻ with MCl₂ (M = Mn, Zn, Cd, Hg) in H₂O or H₂O–MeOH; larger Cs⁺ cations provoke the formation of a polymeric derivative of the ternary anionic structure.