The Chemistry of Cadmium–Thiocarboxylate Derivatives: Synthesis, Structural Features, and Application As Single Source Precursors for Ternary Sulfides

Novel heterobimetallic complexes [(PPh₃)₂Cu(μ-SCOPh)₂Cd(SCOPh)] (2a), [(PPh₃)₂Cu(μ-SCOth)₂Cd(SCOth)] (2b), [(PPh₃)₂Ag(μ-SCOth)₂Cd(SCOth)] (3a), [(PPh₃)₂Ag(μ-SCOth)₂Cd(H₂O)(SCOth)] (3b), [(PPh₃)₂Ag(μ-SCOPh)₂Cd(SCOPh)] (3c), and a bimetallic complex [PPh₃Cd(μ-SCOth)SCOth]₂·CH₂Cl₂ (5) (th = thiophene) were prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. A coordination polymer [Cd(SCOPh)₂]_n (4) has also been characterized structurally that exhibited metal-like electrical conductivity. The heterobimetallic complexes on pyrolyzing under controlled conditions yielded ternary sulfides of composition CuCd₇S₈, CuCd₁₀S₁₁, Ag₂Cd₈S₉, and Ag₂Cd₅S₆, which have been characterized by SEM-EDX and X-ray diffractometry. Photophysical properties and electrical conductivities of the sulfides have also been studied.