K₁₀M₄M′₄S₁₇ (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Zn; M′ = Sn, Ge) and Cs₁₀Cd₄Sn₄S ₁₇: Compounds with a discrete supertetrahedral cluster

The cluster compounds K₁₀Zn₄Sn₄S ₁₇, K₁₀Mn₄Sn₄S₁₇, K ₁₀Fe₄Sn₄S₁₇, K₁₀Co ₄Sn₄S₁₇, Cs₁₀Cd₄Sn ₄S₁₇ and K₁₀Zn₄Ge₄S ₁₇ are described. The structures of these compounds, refined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, contain the discrete cluster [M₄M′₄S₁₇]^10- (M = Zn, Mn, Co, Fe, Cd; M′ = Sn or Ge) which has the structure of Si₈C ₁₇H₃₆. It is built from the sulfur-connected tetrahedral SnS₄ and MS₄ units with the additional quadruply bridging sulfur atom at the center of the cluster. All compound show some solubility and stability in water and formamide. Cs₁₀Cd₄Sn ₄S₁₇ and K₁₀Zn₄Ge₄S ₁₇ show photoluminescence at room temperature.The magnetic properties of K₁₀Mn₄Sn₄S₁₇, K ₁₀Fe₄Sn₄S₁₇, K₁₀Co ₄Sn₄S₁₇ indicate strong antiferromagnetic interactions arising from spin coupling within the cluster but their magnetic susceptibility is characterized with a discrepancy between field-cooled and zero field-cooled measurements.