Identification of mixed bromidochloridotellurate anions in disordered crystal structures of (bdmim)2[TeX2Y4] (X, Y = Br, Cl; bdmim = 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium) by combined application of Raman spectroscopy and solid-state DFT calculations

The discrete mixed [TeBrxCl6−x]2− anions in their disordered crystal structures have been identified by using the phases prepared by the reaction of 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium halogenides (bdmim)X with tellurium tetrahalogenides TeX4 (X = Cl, Br) as examples. Homoleptic (bdmim)2[TeX6] [X = Cl (1), Br (2)] and mixed (bdmim)2[TeBr2Cl4] (3), and (bdmim)2[TeBr4Cl2] (4) are formed depending on the choice of the reagents, and their crystal structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The coordination environments of tellurium in all hexahalogenidotellurates are almost octahedral. Because of the crystallographic disorder, the mixed [TeBr2Cl4]2− and [TeBr4Cl2]2− anions …