Reaction of mercury(II) diiodide with triphenyl selenophosphorane-Se (1:1 mole ratio) in acetone followed by recrystallisation of the product from chloroform formed crystals of stoichiometry {HgI 2 (Ph 3 PSe)}(1). Compound 1 exists as a centrosymmetric homobimetallic dimer, {Hg(µ-I)I(Ph 3 PSe)} 2 , as monoclinic crystals of space group P2 1 /n. The dimer comprises two µ 2-iodo atoms that form unequal Hg-I bonds {2⋅8230(10), 3⋅1135(9) Å} and two equal terminal Hg-I bonds {2⋅6524(10) Å}. The Se atom of Ph 3 PSe forms terminal Hg-Se bond {2⋅5914(11)Å} and thus the geometry about each Hg centre is distorted tetrahedral and the range of tetrahedral bond angles is 92⋅97(2) to 130⋅85(3) o , the largest being that of Se(1)-Hg(1)-I(1) and the shortest, I(2)-Hg(1)-I(2)*. Hg-Hg and I-I separations of {4⋅0930(11)Å} and {4⋅3097(15)Å} are more than the sums of their respective van der Waal radii {3⋅00 Å and 4⋅24 Å}.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.