Palladium(II) derivatives of alkylsulphanyl substituted thiophenes as precursors of inorganic polymers: spectroscopic, electrochemical investigations and X-ray crystal structure of trans-PdCl2[3-(butylsulfanyl)thiophene]2

Palladium(II) complexes with two thiophene derivatives bearing alkylsulfanyl chains, i.e., 3-(n-butylsulfanyl)thiophene and 4,40-
bis(n-butylsulfanyl)-2,20-bithiophene, are synthesised and spectroscopically and electrochemically characterised. The molecular
structure of PdCl2[3-(n-butylsulfanyl)thiophene]2 was determined by X-ray analysis. The properties of the complexes have been compared
with those of PdCl2[3,30-bis(n-butylsulfanyl)-2,20-bithiophene] and of a conductive polymer partially coordinated with Pd(II),
previously synthesised by us. We found that Pd(II) ions can coordinate sulfanyl sulfur atoms both in cis and trans configuration,
leading to a reticulate material, where some kind of interchain bridging may be reasonably supposed to enhance the bulk
conductivity.