Group 12 metal monoselenocarboxylates: synthesis, characterization, structure and their transformation to metal selenide (MSe; M = Zn, Cd, Hg) nanoparticles

Reactions Of [MCl2(tmeda)] with potassium salts of monoselenocarboxylic acids gave complexes of the general formula [M(SeCOR)(2)(tmeda)] (M = Zn, Cd; R = Ph, Tol; Tol = C6H4-p-CH,; tmeda = Me2NCH2CH2NMe2). The analogous mercury complexes were unstable at room temperature and afforded HgSe nanoparticles during the course of reaction. All the complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, NMR (H-1, C-13, Se-77, Cd-113) data. The X-ray structural analysis of [Cd(SeCOPh)(2)(tmeda)] revealed that the complex is a discrete monomer having an approximate tetrahedral coordination environment around the central metal atom with monodentate (Se-bonded) selenocarboxylates. Thermal behavior of these complexes was studied by TG analysis. Pyrolysis in a furnace or in HDA (hexadecylamine) gave MSe nanoparticles, which were characterized by XRD, EDAX, SEM and absorption spectroscopy.