Book Review

Structural Chemistry -     

Book Reviews

Unsigned book reviews are by the Book Review Editor.     

Book reviews

Please forward books for review to the book review editor: Magdolna Hargittai, Structural Chemistry Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös University, H-1431 Budapest, Pf. 117, Hungary     

Molecular structure of 4,4′-sulfandiyl-bis-thiophenol from electron diffraction

The molecular structure of 4,4′-sulfanidyl-bis-thiophenol (C₁₂H₁₀S₃) has been determined by gas electron diffraction. Assuming identical geometry and D_2h local symmetry for ---SC₆H₄S--- moieties, the following bond lengths (r_g) and bond angles were obtained: C---H = 1.101 ± 0.005, S---H = 1.388 ± 0.019, (C---C)_mean = 1.400 ± 0.003, (S---C)_mean = 1.778 ± 0.004 Å, C_ar---S---C_ar = 103.5 ± 1.3, C---C(S)---C = 120.4 ± 0.3, C(H)---C(H)---H = 119.1 ± 0.9 and C---S---H = 94.6 ± 3.1°. Two ratational forms were found to reproduce the experimental data, characterized by dihedral angles of the benzene rings with respect to the C_arSC_ar plane; ₁ = 67.8 ± 2.0°, ₂ = 4.5 ± 7.2°, and ₁ = 69.4 ± 2.0δ, ₂ = −26.6 ± 7.1°. Identical signs of ₁ and ₂ indicate that the two benzene rings are rotated in the same direction about the respective S_central---C axes.     

Molecular Structure of 1,3,5-Tris (Trimethylstannyl) Benzene: An Electron Diffraction Study

The molecular structure of 1,3,5-tris (trimethylstannyl) benzene has been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction. The C — C bond length is in good agreement with that in benzene. In agreement with the somewhat electron-releasing character of the substituents, the endocyclic bond angles at the substituents are somewhat smaller than 120°. The mean value of Sn — C bond lengths is greater than that in tetraphenyltin and tetramethyltin. The SnMe₃ groups appear freely rotating around the C_aryl — Sn bonds. The following bond lengths (r _g) and bond angles were determined: (Sn — C)_mean 2.150 ± 0.007 Å, C — C 1.399 ± 0.005 Å, (C — H)_mean 1.105 ± 0.006 Å, < C — C(Sn) — C 117.7 ± 1.7º, < C_aryl — Sn — C_methyl 106.7 ± 0.7º < Sn — C — H 111.5 ± 0.9º.     

Molecular structure of ethynylbenzene from electron diffraction and ab initio molecular orbital calculations

The molecular structure and benzene ring distortions of ethynylbenzene have been investigated by gas-phase electron diffraction and ab initio MO calculations at the HF/6-31G^* and 6-3G^** levels. Least-squares refinement of a model withC _2v, symmetry, with constraints from the MO calculations, yielded the following important bond distances and angles:r _g(C _i -C _o )=1.407±0.003 Å,r _g(C _o -C _m )=1.397±0.003 Å,r _g(C _m -C _p )=1.400±0.003 Å,r _g(Cr _i -CCH)=1.436 ±0.004 Å,r _g(C=C)=1.205±0.005 Å, C _o -C _i -C _o =119.8±0.4°. The deformation of the benzene ring of ethynylbenzene given by the MO calculations, including o-C_i-C_o=119.4°, is insensitive to the basis set used and agrees with that obtained by low-temperature X-ray crystallography for the phenylethynyl fragment, C₆H₅-CC-, in two different crystal environments. The partial substitution structure of ethynylbenzene from microwave spectroscopy is shown to be inaccurate in the ipso region of the benzene ring.