N-Methylimidazole Mediated Chemistry of Transition Metal Phenylthiolates. The Isolation of the Perthiolate Salts [M(N-MeIm)6](S2Ph)2

Salts of the composition [M(N-MeIm)6](SPh)2 (M = Mn, Ni; N-MeIm = N-methylimidazole) were prepared by dissolution of the metal powders with N-MeIm solutions of Ph2S2. X-ray crystallographic examination established that these salts indeed feature uncoordinated PhS-. The salts [M(N-McIm)6](SPh)2 (M = Mn, Ni) react with S8 to give [M(N-MeIm)6]S8 via the intermediacy of the perthiolate salts [M(N-MeIm)6](S2Ph)2.