Optical spectroscopy of (C2H5NH3)2CdCl4:Cu2+ under pressure: Study of Cu2+ local structure from theoretical calculations

The variations experienced by the energy E_u(π) of the e_u(π)→b_1g (～x²–y²) charge‐transfer transition of (C₂H₅NH₃)₂CdCl₄:Cu²⁺ upon pressure in the 0‐ to 40‐kbar range have been measured at room temperature by means of a sapphire anvil cell. These data reveal that E_u(π) undergoes a red shift of 1400 cm^?1 on passing from ambient pressure to 40 kbars. To understand this puzzling result theoretical calculations of ?E_u(π)/?R_eq and ?E_u(π)/?R_ax have been performed where R_eq and R_ax mean the equatorial and axial Cu²⁺–Cl^? distances of the elongated CuCl₆^4? complex, respectively. All results indicate that ?E_u(π)/?R_eq and ?E_u(π)/?R_ax for R_eq=228 pm and R_ax=297 pm are indeed negative. Moreover ab initio complete active space self‐consistent field (CASSCF/CASPT2) and density functional calculations lead to ?E_u(π)/?R_ax values, which are about 10 times smaller than those of ?E_u(π)/?R_eq. From the ensemble of experimental and theoretical results, it is concluded that a pressure of 40 kbars gives rise to a decrement of ≈25 pm of the axial distance and at the same time to an increase of ≈7 pm of the equatorial one. It is stressed that the present study on a diluted Jahn–Teller impurity lies far beyond the current possibilities of X‐ray absorption structure techniques. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001