Reactivity of the tetraphenyldithioimidodiphosphine diiodine (HL·I2) adduct towards indium powder

The reaction of indium powder with the mixture (SPPh2) 2NH and I2 (HL-I2) in Et2O at room temperature gave the indium(III) complex InLI2 (1). The reaction occurs in two steps, the first of which leads to the formation of InI 3 and free HL, then the subsequent reaction between these species yields compound 1, H+, and the anion InI4 -. The crystal lattice of 1 is made up of neutral acentric molecules where the metal ion is bonded through two sulfur atoms to one anionic (SPPh2) 2N- (L) ligand and two iodide ions. The central In III ion shows a slightly distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, carried out at the B3LYP level, have been used to interpret the electrochemical behaviour of 1.