The chemistry of the p-block elements with thioether, selenoether and telluroether ligands.

The synthesis and structures of acyclic and macrocyclic thio-, seleno- and telluro-ether complexes of the metallic and metalloid elements of Groups 13-16 reported since 2000 are described. The diverse structures range from discrete monomers through to infinite 1-, 2- or 3-D polymers. The coordination chemistry in this area is quite different to familiar d-block chemistry and the underlying factors are explored. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011