“…As it turns out, disproportionation occurring on thermal decomposition of the corresponding In I or In II compound has been the means of delivery of the metalloid indium cluster compounds identified so far, namely, In 8 Ar 4 (Ar = C 6 H 3 -2,6-mesityl 2 ), In 8 (Si t Bu 3 ) 6 , and In 12 (Si t Bu 3 ) 8 382 (see Table ). Disproportionation, again achieved through serendipity more than design, has also given rise to the heteronuclear clusters featured in [MeC{CH 2 NSiMe 3 } 3 In 2 ] 2 , In 9 (PPh) 4 (P 2 Ph 2 ) 3 Cl 7 (PEt 3 ) 3 , (dppe) 2 Au 3 In 3 Cl 6 (THF) 3 , and [(dppe) 2 -Au] + [(dppe) 2 Au 3 In 3 Br 7 (THF)] - (dppe = Ph 2 PC 2 H 4 PPh 2 ); it is presumably also responsible for the formation of the anion [{(Me 3 Si) 3 C} 3 In 3 Br 3 ] - , with an In 3 Br 2 core, which is a byproduct of the reaction between InBr and LiC(SiMe 3 ) 3 ·2THF in toluene . An alternative, more controlled strategy has involved mild oxidation of the tetrahedral cluster [RIn] 4 , where R = C(SiMe 3 ) 3 , by 1,2-C 2 H 4 Br 2 , AlI 3 /I 2 , or propylene sulfide to form the heteronuclear cluster compounds R 4 In 4 Br 2 , R 3 In 3 I 2 , or R 4 In 4 S, respectively.…”