The Transition from Molecules to Solids: Molecular Syntheses of Ni sub 9 Te sub 6 (PEt sub 3) sub 8, N sub (20) Te sub (18) (PEt sub 3) sub (12) and NiTe.

Remarkably little is known about reactions which take molecular compounds to solid state materials, in large part because the chemical intermediates have only rarely been isolated and studied. In this manuscript we describe the synthesis of the solid state compound delta-NiTe from the molecular precursors triethylphosphine telluride (Et sub 3 PTe) and bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel (Ni (COD) sub 2). By careful control of the reaction conditions we have been able to isolate two large (but still molecular) clusters containing Ni and Te. The structure of each has been determined crystallographically. Ni sub 9 Te sub 6 (PEt sub 3) sub 8 has a central Ni atom surrounded by an octahedron of Te atoms, with the Ni surface passivated with triethylphosphines.