Preparation and crystal structure of S2I42+(AsF6–)2 containing the distorted right triangular prismatic disulphur tetraiodine(2+) cation and a disulphur unit of bond order greater than two

Abstract

S₂I₄²⁺(AsF₆^–)₂ has been prepared and its crystal structure determined in which the S₂I₄²⁺ cation was found to have a distorted right triangular prismatic structure, with one S₂ and two I₂ units joined by weak sulphur–iodine bonds; the sulphur–sulphur bond distance is the shortest reported in an isolated compound, and is indicative of the presence of a 3pπ–3pπ bond and a bond order greater than two.