| Contemporary interest in tellurium-based compounds is focused on applications in materials science and in particular on semiconducting binary metal tellurides. Dichalcogenido imidodiphosphinates are versatile ligands towards metals across the periodic table, and the chemistry of [(EPR2)2N] - ligands where E = O, S and Se is well-developed. There is, however, a paucity of examples containing tellurium. This thesis presents advancements in the chemistry of tellurium-containing imidodiphosphinates with respect to (a) the fundamental main group chemistry of these ligands and (b) materials chemistry of metal complexes as single-source precursors (SSPs) to metal tellurides.;A new monotellurido imidodiphosphinate, [TePiPr2 NPiPr2]-, is produced as the lithium salt and used as an in situ reagent. This compound is a useful ligand transfer agent in salt metathesis reactions with halides of metals from groups 10, 11 and 12. Such metal complexes are potential second-generation SSPs to metal tellurides; for instance the complexes of zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) possess a more favourable ratio of metal to tellurium (1:2) when compared to the previously reported ditellurido imidodiphosphinate complexes (4:1). A copper(I) complex was found to insert elemental oxygen, sulfur and selenium into the Cu--P bond to generate heterodichalcogenido imidodiphosphinate ligand complexes. Additionally, ligand attack onto a Pt-coordinated molecule of 1,5-cyclooctadiene was observed, which resulted in the formation of an unusual sigma:pi carbon-based ligand.;A thallium(I) complex of [(TePiPr2)2N] - was found to be a linear coordination polymer in the solid state, while tin(II) and lead(II) complexes crystallized as dimers held together by weak metal···tellurium secondary bonding interactions.;Several metal telluride materials were generated using metal complexes as SSPs. These include the solvothermal synthesis of antimony(III) telluride microparticles, as well as the deposition of lead(II) telluride thin films onto glass substrates using chemical vapour deposition.;One-electron oxidation of anions with the general formula [(EPR2)2N]- (E = S, Se, Te; R = iPr, tBu) produces dimeric compounds. Two distinct isomers are generated: in the case of E = Te and R = tBu, a unique contact ion pair is observed, while for the other combinations symmetrical dichalcogenide dimers were identified. Two-electron oxidation of these ligands produces cyclic cations. |
