Stabilization of the unhybridized Sn2+ stannous ion in the BaClF structure and its characterization by119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy

In divalent tin halides, when the halogen is small and highly electronegative (F, Cl), the tin valence orbitals are hybridized, the tin(II) non-bonded electron pair is located on one of the hybrid orbitals, and the resulting large electric field gradient gives a large quadrupole splitting. The reaction of barium chloride and tin difluoride in aqueous solutions, for large BaCl₂.2H₂O/SnF₂ ratios (>10) results in the precipitation of a white powdered material, which is identified by X-ray diffraction to be BaCIF. However, Tin-119 Mossbauer spectroscopy shows the material contains a fairly large amount of divalent tin in the Sn²⁺ ionic form, with unhybridized orbitals, like in SnCl₂. Using X-ray diffraction, we have established that Sn²⁺ ions substitute 15% of the Ba²⁺ ions at random, and chemical analysis shows the material has the formula Ba_5.66SnCl_7.30F_6.04 and thus is enriched in chlorine.