Isolation and characterization of an organogallium-arsenic cluster: Crystal structure of ((PhAsH)(R2Ga)(PhAs)6(RGa)4)(R=Me3SiCH2)

(PhAsH)(R2Ga)(PhAs)6(RGa)4 (R = Me3SiCH2) has been isolated as a product of the reaction of PhAsH2 with (Me3SiCH2)3Ga and determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis to be a cluster containing an As7Ga5 core. As part of our studies of synthetic methods and the identification of substituents which will permit the isolation of monomeric and oligomeric gallium-arsenic compounds, we investigated the reaction of PhAsH2 with (Me3SiCH2)3Ga. Primarily, it was of interest to ascertain if steric bulk would permit the isolation of compounds of the type (PhAsGaCH2SiMe3)n(n=1-4) and suppress formation of polymers similar to the nonvolatile polymeric material reported to be the primary product of the reaction of PhAsH2 with Me3Ga.