SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF [CL2GAP(SIME3)2]2, A POTENTIAL PRECURSOR TO GALLIUM-PHOSPHIDE

[Cl2GaP(SiMe3)2]2 (1) has been prepared from the 1:1 reaction of GaCl3 with P(SiMe3)3. Thermal decomposition of 1 produces a brown powder which contains GaP, as evidenced by an X-ray powder pattern and partial elemental analysis. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (No. 14) with a = 9.754(2) angstrom, b = 15.585(5) angstrom, c = 9.839(2) angstrom, and beta = 96.18(1)degrees, is composed of a planar Ga-P-Ga-P ring, with Ga-P bond distances of 2.378(2) and 2.380(2) angstrom, and contains exocyclic chlorine and SiMe3 ligands. The ring core is a slightly distorted square, with Ga-P-Ga' and P-Ga-P' bond angles of 86.41(7) and 93.59(7)degrees, respectively. Additionally, H-1 NMR confirms that 1 exhibits monomer-dimer equilibrium in solution.