Home Physical Sciences Crystal structure of bis(diethylammonium) tridecathiotrimolybdate, (Et2NH2)2[Mo3S13]
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Crystal structure of bis(diethylammonium) tridecathiotrimolybdate, (Et2NH2)2[Mo3S13]

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Published/Copyright: January 30, 2026

Abstract

C8H24N2Mo3S13, monoclinic, P21/m (no. 11), a = 10.536(3) Å, b = 19.844(7) Å, c = 13.149(5) Å, β = 108.503(11)°, V = 2607.0 Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0291, wR ref (F2) = 0.0652, T = 223 K.

CCDC no.: 2523086

The molecular structure is shown in the figure. Table 1 contains the crystallographic data and the list of the atoms including atomic coordinates and displacement parameters can be found in the cif-file attached to this article.

Table 1:

Data collection and handling.

Crystal: Brown block
Size: 0.08 × 0.07 × 0.03 mm
Wavelength: Mo Kα radiation (0.71073 Å)
μ: 2.46 mm−1
Diffractometer, scan mode: Bruker APEX-II, φ and ω scans
θmax, completeness: 28.5°, 100 %
N(hkl)measured, N(hkl)unique, Rint: 79359, 6785, 0.077
Criterion for Iobs, N(hkl)gt: Iobs > 2 σ(Iobs), 5,141
N(param)refined: 253
Programs: Bruker, 1 SHELX, 2 WinGX, 3 Diamond 4

1 Source of materials

NH 4 2 MoS4 (0.020 g, 0.077 mmol) and Et2NH2Cl (0.050 g, 0.46 mmol) were charged to a Pyrex tube with diameter of 9 mm and about 0.5 mL MeOH was added as a solvent. While the solvent was being frozen, the Pyrex tube was evacuated under vacuum and sealed with the use of a flame. The sealed tube was placed in an oven and heated at 110 °C for one day, then cooled in an ice/water bath for over 6 h. Dark brown block crystals were isolated by filtration and washed with MeOH and diethyl ether several times. Crystals of Et 2 NH 2 2 [Mo3S13] were obtained in 23 % yield, based on the Mo metal used.

2 Experimental details

H atoms were positioned geometrically and treated as riding, with N–H = 0.89, C–H = 0.98 (CH2) and 0.97 (CH3) Å with Uiso(H) = 1.2 Ueq(N) and 1.2 (1.5 for methyl) Ueq(C). H atoms of the CH3 were positioned to be staggered with respect to the shortest other bond to the atom to which the CH3 is attached.

3 Comment

The Mo 3 Q 13 2 (Q = S, Se) cluster anion has attracted significant interest due not only to its novel structure but also to its diverse applications, such as in catalysis and as a precursor. 5 , 6 Recently, an unsymmetrical mixed tetraalkylammonium cation, BuMe3N+, was reported to be effective in stabilizing the Mo 3 S 13 2 anion when solvothermal synthetic approaches were employed. 7 In the search for other organic cations capable of such stabilization, we found that the diethylammonium cation, Et2 NH 2 + , can also stabilize the Mo 3 S 13 2 anion. Herein, we report the preparation and structural characterization of Et 2 NH 2 2 [Mo3S13].

The solvothermal reaction of NH 4 2 MoS 4 with Et2NH2Cl afforded Et 2 NH 2 2 [Mo3S13], which comprises a Mo 3 S 13 2 anion and two charge-balancing diethylammonium cations. As observed in the synthesis of BuMe 3 N 2 [Mo3S13], the Mo(VI) metal in NH 4 2 MoS 4 appears to be reduced to Mo(IV) through the oxidation of S2− to S 2 2 , leading to the formation of the [ Mo 4 + 3 (S2−) S 2 2 6 2 species – namely, the Mo 3 S 13 2  anion.

In the structure of Et 2 NH 2 2 [Mo3S13], there are two crystallographically independent diethylammonium cations and two Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters, in which three Mo centers are linked to form a triangle capped by an apical sulfur atom. Three bridging and three terminal disulfide ( S 2 2 ) ligands complete the formation of the Mo 3 S 13 2 cluster. In both Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters, one Mo atom, one apical S atom, one bridging disulfide, and one terminal disulfide ligand lie on a crystallographic mirror plane.

The two Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters exhibit nearly identical shape and size. The Mo–Mo bond distances range from 2.710(1) to 2.721(1) Å (average: 2.717 Å) in one cluster, and from 2.708(1) to 2.720(1) Å (average: 2.716 Å) in the other. These average Mo–Mo bond distances are slightly shorter than those reported for Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters stabilized by BuMe3N+ (2.741 Å), 7 Me4N+ (2.735, 2.733 Å), 8 , 9 Ph4As+ (2.725 Å), 10 NH 4 + (2.722 Å), 11 and Cs+ (2.719 Å), 12 indicating that the Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters in Et 2 NH 2 2 [Mo3S13] are the most compact among those stabilized by monovalent cations.

The triangular Mo3S3 core formed by three Mo atoms and three bridging disulfide sulfur atoms is nearly planar, with maximum deviations from planarity of 0.114 Å and 0.130 Å in the two respective clusters. The Mo–S and S–S bond distances are consistent with those observed in previously reported Mo 3 S 13 2 structures. The shortest S⋯H contacts occur between S(18) and H(2NA) at 2.425(1) Å, and between S(7) and H(1NA) at 2.455(1) Å, indicating weak hydrogen bonding interactions between the Mo 3 S 13 2 clusters and Et2 NH 2 + cations.


Corresponding author: Kang-Woo Kim, Department of Chemistry & Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea, E-mail:

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Incheon National University Research Grant in 2025.

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Received: 2025-11-18
Published Online: 2026-01-30
Published in Print: 2026-04-24

© 2025 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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