The Scent of Maibowle – π Electron Localization in Coumarin from Its Microwave-Determined Structure

The microwave spectra of the natural substance coumarin, a planar aromatic molecule with the specific scent of maibowle, a popular fruit punch served in spring and early summer, were recorded using a molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer working in the frequency range from 4.0 to 26.5 GHz. The rotational constants and centrifugal distortion constants were determined with high precision, reproducing the spectra to experimental accuracy. The spectra of all singly-substituted ¹³C and ¹⁸O isotopologues were observed in their natural abundances to determine the experimental heavy atom substitution r_s and semi-experimental equilibrium r_e^SE structures. The experimental bond lengths and bond angles were compared to those obtained from quantum chemical calculations and those of related molecules reported in the literature with benzene as the prototype. The alternation of the C−C bond lengths to the value of 1.39 Å found for benzene reflects the localization of π electrons in coumarin, where the benzene ring and the lactone-like chain −CH=CH−(C=O)−O− are fused. The large, negative inertial defect of coumarin is consistent with out-of-plane vibrations of the fused rings.     

Die kristall- und molekúlstruktur der dimeren dimethylaluminium- und dimethylgallium-N,N′-dimethylacetamidine [(CH3)2M(NCH3)2CCH3]2 (M = Al,Ga)

Dimethylaluminium- and dimethylgallium-N,N′-dimethylacetamidine (I and II) are doubly associated forming a puckered eight-membered ring. They crystallize isostructurally in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with two dimers per unit cell. The lattice constants of I are a 8.187, b 7.266, c 14.778 Å, β 103.58° and those of II a 8.163, b 7.277, c 14.835 Å, β 103.46°. The MN and the NC bond lengths within the rings are nearly equal, their mean values are for I: AlN 1.925 Å, CN 1.330 Å and for II: GaN 1.979 Å, CN 1.335 Å. This is also true for the exocyclic bond lengths with average values AlC 1.975 Å, NC 1.474 Å, CC 1.509 Å (for I) and GaC 1.998 Å, NC 1.484 Å and CC 1.507 Å (for II). The metal atoms are tetrahedrally coordinated, and the distortion is only slight. The final R-values are 0.034 and 0.056, respectively.     

A low‐temperature modification of hexa‐tert‐butyldisilane and a new polymorph of 1,1,2,2‐tetra‐tert‐butyl‐1,2‐diphenyldisilane

Crystals of hexa‐tert‐butyldisilane, C₂₄H₅₄Si₂, undergo a reversible phase transition at 179 (2) K. The space group changes from Ibca (high temperature) to Pbca (low temperature), but the lattice constants a, b and c do not change significantly during the phase transition. The crystallographic twofold axis of the molecule in the high‐temperature phase is replaced by a noncrystallographic twofold axis in the low‐temperature phase. The angle between the two axes is 2.36 (4)°. The centre of the molecule undergoes a translation of 0.123 (1) Å during the phase transition, but the conformation angles of the molecule remain unchanged. Between the two tri‐tert‐butylsilyl subunits there are six short repulsive intramolecular C—H...H—C contacts, with H...H distances between 2.02 and 2.04 Å, resulting in a significant lengthening of the Si—Si and Si—C bonds. The Si—Si bond length is 2.6863 (5) Å and the Si—C bond lengths are between 1.9860 (14) and 1.9933 (14) Å. Torsion angles about the Si—Si and Si—C bonds deviate by approximately 15° from the values expected for staggered conformations due to intramolecular steric H...H repulsions. A new polymorph is reported for the crystal structure of 1,1,2,2‐tetra‐tert‐butyl‐1,2‐diphenyldisilane, C₂₈H₄₆Si₂. It has two independent molecules with rather similar conformations. The Si—Si bond lengths are 2.4869 (8) and 2.4944 (8) Å. The C—Si—Si—C torsion angles deviate by between −3.4 (1) and −18.5 (1)° from the values expected for a staggered conformation. These deviations result from steric interactions. Four Si—C(t‐Bu) bonds are almost staggered, while the other four Si—C(t‐Bu) bonds are intermediate between a staggered and an eclipsed conformation. The latter Si—C(t‐Bu) bonds are about 0.019 (2) Å longer than the staggered Si—C(t‐Bu) bonds.     

A Modular Access to Divinyldiphosphenes with a Strikingly Small HOMO–LUMO Energy Gap

The olefinic C−H bond functionalization of (NHC)CHPh (NHC=IPr=C{(NAr)CH}₂ 1 ; SIPr=C{(NAr)CH₂}₂ 2 ; Ar=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃), derived from classical N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), with PCl₃ affords the dichlorovinylphosphanes {(NHC)C(Ph)}PCl₂ (NHC=IPr 3 , SIPr 4 ). Two-electron reduction of 3 and 4 with magnesium leads to the formation of the divinyldiphosphenes [{(NHC)C(Ph)}P]₂ (NHC=IPr 5 , SIPr 6 ) as crystalline solids. Unlike literature-known diphosphenes, which are mostly yellow or orange, 5 is a green whereas 6 is a purple solid. Although the P=P bond lengths of 5 (2.062(1)) and 6 (2.055(1) Å) are comparable to those of the known diphosphenes (2.02–2.08 Å), the C−P bond lengths of 5 (1.785(1)) and 6 (1.797(1) Å) are, however, considerably shorter than a C −P single bond length (1.85 Å), indicating a considerable π-conjugation between C=C and P=P moieties. The HOMO–LUMO energy gap for 5 (4.15) and 6 (4.52 eV) is strikingly small and thus the narrowest among the diphosphenes (>4.93 eV) reported as yet. Consequently, 5 readily undergoes P=P bond cleavage at room temperature on treatment with sulfur to form the unique dithiophosphorane {(IPr)C(Ph)}P(S)₂ 7 . Interestingly, reaction of 5 with selenium gives the selenadiphosphirane [{(IPr)C(Ph)}P]₂Se 8 with an intact P−P bond.     

trans‐Bis[1‐benzyl‐3‐(2,3,4,5,6‐penta­fluoro­benz­yl)benzimidazol‐2‐yl­idene]­dibromo­palladium(II)

The title compound, [PdBr₂(C₂₁H₁₃F₅N₂)₂], crystallizes with two independent centrosymmetric conformational isomers having a square‐planar coordination at the Pd atom. The conformational isomers differ by the ligands having a cis or trans orientation of their benzyl and pentafluorobenzyl rings with respect to the benzimidazole ring plane. The benzimidazole rings are rotated with respect to the coordination plane of the metal by 79.1 (2) and 75.2 (1)° for mol­ecules A and B, respectively. The Pd—Br bond lengths are 2.4218 (8) and 2.4407 (10) Å for mol­ecules A and B, respectively, and the Pd—C bond lengths are 2.030 (8) and 2.018 (9) Å. The crystal structure contains two types of C—H⋯F and one type of C—H⋯Br intra­molecular contact, as well as C—H⋯π inter­actions.     

The Metallic Zintl Phase Ba3Si4 – Synthesis,Crystal Structure,Chemical Bonding,and Physical Properties

The Zintl phase Ba₃Si₄ has been synthesized from the elements at 1273 K as a single phase. No homogeneity range has been found. The compound decomposes peritectically at 1307(5) K to BaSi₂ and melt. The butterfly‐shaped Si₄⁶⁻ Zintl anion in the crystal structure of Ba₃Si₄ (Pearson symbol tP28, space group P4₂/mnm, a = 8.5233(3) Å, c = 11.8322(6) Å) shows only slightly different Si‐Si bond lengths of d(Si–Si) = 2.4183(6) Å (1×) and 2.4254(3) Å (4×). The compound is diamagnetic with χ ≈ −50 × 10⁻⁶ cm³ mol⁻¹. DC resistivity measurements show a high electrical resistivity (ρ(300 K) ≈ 1.2 × 10⁻³ Ω m) with positive temperature gradient dρ/dT. The temperature dependence of the isotropic signal shift and the spin‐lattice relaxation times in ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy confirms the metallic behavior. The experimental results are in accordance with the calculated electronic band structure, which indicates a metal with a low density of states at the Fermi level. The electron localization function (ELF) is used for analysis of chemical bonding. The reaction of solid Ba₃Si₄ with gaseous HCl leads to the oxidation of the Si₄⁶⁻ Zintl anion and yields nanoporous silicon.     

Bonding,Aromaticity and Isomerization of Furfuraldehyde through Off-Nucleus Isotropic Magnetic Shielding

Off-nucleus isotropic magnetic shielding (σ_iso(r)) and multi-points nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS(0-2 Å)) index were utilized to find the impacts of the isomerization of gas-phase furfuraldehyde (FD) on bonding and aromaticity of FD. Multidimensional (1D to 3D) grids of ghost atoms (bqs) were used as local magnetic probes to evaluate σ_iso(r) through gauge-including atomic orbitals (GIAO) at density functional theory (DFT) and B3LYP functional/6-311+G(d,p) basis set level of theory. 1D σ_iso(r) responses along each bond of FD were examined. Also, a σ_iso(r) 2D-scan was performed to obtain σ_iso(r) behavior at vertical heights of 0–1 Å above the FD plane in its cis, transition state (TS) and trans forms. New techniques for evaluating 2D σ_iso(r) cross-sections are also included. Our findings showed that bonds in cyclic and acyclic parts of FD are dissimilar. Unlike the C−O bond of furanyl, the C=O bond of the formyl group is magnetically different. C−C and C−H bonds in furanyl are found similar to those in aromatic rings. A unique σ_iso(r) trend was observed for the C₂−C₆ bond during FD isomerization. Based on NICS(0-2 Å) values, the degree of aromaticity follows the order of cis FD<trans FD<furan<TS FD.     

The structure of tetramethyl μ-monothiopyrophosphate

The compound tetramethyl μ-monothiopyrophosphate (C₄H₁₂O₆P₂S) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C 2/c, with (at -130°C) a = 10.322 Å, b = 8.229 Å, c = 12.062 Å, β = 98.44°, and D_calc = 1.639 g/mL³ and Z = 4. The crystal structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction to give a final R value of 0.0329 for 614 independent observed reflections [F_˚ > 2.5σ(F_˚)]. The sulfur atom resides on a crystallographic two-fold axis. The P S P bond angle is 105.4° and the P S bond lengths are 2.093 Å. The bond angles around phosphorus range from 99.1° to 118.2°. The terminal PO bond is 1.465 Å, and the methoxyl P O bond is about 1.556 Å. The H₃C O P bond angle is about 119.5°. Many structural features are interpreted in terms of π-bonding to phosphorus. Comparisons with the structures of pyrophosphate and related compounds indicate that the combined effects of increased acuteness of the P S P bond and the increased length of the P—S bonds lead to an increase of about 0.4 Å in the separation of phosphorus atoms in the sulfur-bridging compound. These facts, together with the weakness of the P S bond, must be taken into account in the interpretation of kinetic data for enzymatic reactions of phosphorothiolates as substrates in place of phosphates.     

Cation-Radius-Controlled Sn−O Bond Length Boosting CO2 Electroreduction over Sn-Based Perovskite Oxides

Despite the intriguing potential shown by Sn-based perovskite oxides in CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂RR), the rational optimization of their CO₂RR properties is still lacking. Here we report an effective strategy to promote CO₂-to-HCOOH conversion of Sn-based perovskite oxides by A-site-radius-controlled Sn−O bond lengths. For the proof-of-concept examples of Ba_1−xSr_xSnO₃, as the A-site cation average radii decrease from 1.61 to 1.44 Å, their Sn−O bonds are precisely shortened from 2.06 to 2.02 Å. Our CO₂RR measurements show that the activity and selectivity of these samples for HCOOH production exhibit volcano-type trends with the Sn−O bond lengths. Among these samples, the Ba_0.5Sr_0.5SnO₃ features the optimal activity (753.6 mA ⋅ cm⁻²) and selectivity (90.9 %) for HCOOH, better than those of the reported Sn-based oxides. Such optimized CO₂RR properties could be attributed to favorable merits conferred by the precisely controlled Sn−O bond lengths, e.g., the regulated band center, modulated adsorption/activation of intermediates, and reduced energy barrier for *OCHO formation. This work brings a new avenue for rational design of advanced Sn-based perovskite oxides toward CO₂RR.     

Formation of Short Zn−Zn Bonds Stabilized by Simple Cyanide and Isocyanide Ligands

Cyanogen diluted in argon was reacted with laser ablated Zn atoms to produce the NCZnCN and NCZnZnCN cyanides and higher energy isocyanides ZnNC, CNZnNC, and CNZnZnNC, which were isolated in excess argon at 4 K. These reaction products, identified from the matrix infrared spectra of their -CN and -NC chromophore ligand stretching modes, were confirmed by ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotopic substitution and comparison with frequencies calculated by the B3LYP and CCSD(T) methods using the all electron aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The cyanide and isocyanide products were increased markedly by mercury arc UV photolysis, which covers the zinc atomic absorption. The above electronic structure calculations that produce appropriate ligand frequencies for these dizinc products also provide their Zn−Zn bond lengths: CCSD(T) calculations find a short 2.367 Å Zn−Zn bond in the NCZnZnCN cyanide, a shorter 2.347 Å Zn−Zn bond in the 37.4 kJ mol⁻¹ higher energy isocyanide CNZnZnNC, and a longer 4.024 Å bond in the dizinc van der Waals dimer. Thus, the diatomic cyanide (-CN) and isocyanide (-NC) ligands are as capable of stabilizing the Zn−Zn bond as many much larger ligands based on their measured and our calculated Zn−Zn bond lengths. This is the first example of dizinc complexes stabilized by different ligand isomers. Additional weaker bands in this region can be assigned to the analogous trizinc molecules NCZnZnZnCN and CNZnZnZnNC.     

Reactivity of Lanthanoid Aryloxide Complexes: Isolation of a 1,2‐Dimethoxyethane Cleavage Product

[Yb(OAr)₂(μ‐OMe)(DME)]₂ ( 1 ) (OAr = 2,6‐di‐iso‐propylphenolate) was synthesised via a redox transmetallation ligand exchange reaction between ytterbium metal, diphenylmercury and 2,6‐di‐isopropylphenol in DME. The source of the methoxy groups is from cleavage of DME, and the C‐O bond activation is unexpected given that the reaction was undertaken at ambient temperature. Each Yb³⁺ metal ion in 1 is six coordinate, and the coordination arrangement around each metal ion is distorted trigonal antiprismatic with Yb‐O(OMe) bond lengths (2.191(2) and 2.258(2) Å) shorter than the Yb‐O(aryloxide) bond distances (2.094(2) and 2.074(2) Å).     

Tetrabutylammonium Salts of Aluminum(III) and Gallium(III) Phthalocyanine Radical Anions Bonded with Fluoren‐9‐olato− Anions and Indium(III) Phthalocyanine Bromide Radical Anions

Reduction of aluminum(III), gallium(III), and indium(III) phthalocyanine chlorides by sodium fluorenone ketyl in the presence of tetrabutylammonium cations yielded crystalline salts of the type (Bu₄N⁺)₂[M^III(HFl−O⁻)(Pc^.3−)]^.−(Br⁻) ⋅ 1.5 C₆H₄Cl₂ [M=Al ( 1 ), Ga ( 2 ); HFl−O⁻=fluoren‐9‐olato⁻ anion; Pc=phthalocyanine] and (Bu₄N⁺) [In^IIIBr(Pc^.3−)]^.− ⋅ 0.875 C₆H₄Cl₂ ⋅ 0.125 C₆H₁₄ ( 3 ). The salts were found to contain Pc^.3− radical anions with negatively charged phthalocyanine macrocycles, as evidenced by the presence of intense bands of Pc^.3− in the near‐IR region and a noticeable blueshift in both the Q and Soret bands of phthalocyanine. The metal(III) atoms coordinate HFl−O⁻ anions in 1 and 2 with short Al−O and Ga−O bond lengths of 1.749(2) and 1.836(6) Å, respectively. The C−O bonds [1.402(3) and 1.391(11) Å in 1 and 2 , respectively] in the HFl−O⁻ anions are longer than the same bond in the fluorenone ketyl (1.27–1.31 Å). Salts 1 – 3 show effective magnetic moments of 1.72, 1.66, and 1.79 μ_B at 300 K, respectively, owing to the presence of unpaired S= 1/2 spins on Pc^.3−. These spins are coupled antiferromagnetically with Weiss temperatures of −22, −14, and −30 K for 1 – 3 , respectively. Coupling can occur in the corrugated two‐dimensional phthalocyanine layers of 1 and 2 with an exchange interaction of J /k _B=−0.9 and −1.1 K, respectively, and in the π‐stacking {[In^IIIBr(Pc^.3−)]^.−}₂ dimers of 3 with an exchange interaction of J /k _B=−10.8 K. The salts show intense electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals attributed to Pc^.3−. It was found that increasing the size of the central metal atom strongly broadened these EPR signals.     

Bonding trends in pyrites and a reinvestigation of the structures of PdAs2, PdSb2, PtSb2 and PtBi2

PdAs₂, PdSb₂, PtSb₂ and PtBi₂ have been formed from reactions of 1-gram samples of the elements in quartz tubes at 923 K, and their crystal structures have been reinvestigated. These materials crystallize with the pyrite structure. The lattice constant, a, and the positional parameter, x, of the nonmetal atoms are the following: PdAs₂ 5.9790(3) Å, 0.38317(3); PdSb₂ 6.464(1) Å, 0.3733(1); PtSb₂ 6.4423(9) Å, 0.3753(2); PtBi₂ 6.7014(8) Å, 0.3710(1). The metal-nonmetal and the closest nonmetal-nonmetal bond lengths are the following: PdAs₂, 2.4949(2), 2.4198(3) Å; PdSb₂, 2.6765(9), 2.838(2) Å; PtSb₂, 2.671(1), 2.782(2) Å; PtBi₂, 2.7706(8), 2.995(2) Å. The platinum-group dipnictides show a strengthening of the nonmetal-nonmetal bond with heavier nonmetal atoms, as evidenced by a bond-valence analysis. These dumbbell bonds are compared to other observed dumbbells in crystals. Comparisons are made to the transition-metal pyrite disulfides, where electronic effects are correlated with the nonmetal-nonmetal bond strength. The valence-matching principle is shown to correlate well with the observed structures of the alkali metal superoxides and alkaline earth metal peroxides. Bond valence analysis for a hypothetical ?cubic”? MnO₂ is given along a fluorite to pyrite pathway.     

The Crystal Structure of (1, 1′-ferrocenediyl)diphenylsilane

The crystal structure of (1,1′-ferrocenediyl)diphenylsilane has been determined from analysis of photographic X-ray data. The crystal system is orthorhombic, a = 14.18(2), b = 12.54(2), c = 9.28(1) Å, space group Pnma with four formula units. The molecule has crystallographic m (C_s) symmetry with atoms Fe and Si lying in the mirror plane, which bisects the two phenyl groups. The planar cyclopentadienyl rings are bridged by a single silicon atom, and are tilted 19.2° with respect to one another. The Fe—C(Cp) distances vary from 2.01(1) to 2.11(1) Å. The bridging angle C(1)—Si—C(1′) is 99.1°, while the Si—C(sp²) bond lengths range from 1.86 to 1.88 Å. The exocyclic C(1)—Si bond makes an angle of 40° with respect to the plane of the cyclopentadienyl ring.     

Synthesis and Characterization of [Fe3(As3)3(As4)]3−, a Binary Fe/As Zintl Cluster With an Fe3 Core

We report here the synthesis and structural characterization of the first binary iron arsenide cluster anion, [Fe₃(As₃)₃(As₄)]³⁻, present in both [K([2.2.2]crypt)]₃[Fe₃(As₃)₃(As₄)] ( 1 ) and [K(18-crown-6)]₃[Fe₃(As₃)₃(As₄)]⋅en ( 2 ). The cluster contains an Fe₃ triangle with three short Fe−Fe bond lengths (2.494(1) Å, 2.459(1) Å and 2.668(2) Å for 1 , 2.471(1) Å, 2.473(1) Å and 2.660(1) Å for 2 ), bridged by a 2-butene-like As₄ unit. An analysis of the electronic structure using DFT reveals a triplet ground state with direct Fe−Fe bonds stabilizing the Fe₃ core.     

The dinuclear scandium(III) cyclooctatetraenyl chloride complex di‐μ‐chlorido‐bis[(η8‐cyclooctatetraene)(tetrahydrofuran‐κO)scandium(III)]

Only a few cyclooctatetraene dianion (COT) π‐complexes of lanthanides have been crystallographically characterized. This first single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction characterization of a scandium(III) COT chloride complex, namely di‐μ‐chlorido‐bis[(η⁸‐cyclooctatetraene)(tetrahydrofuran‐κO )scandium(III)], [Sc₂(C₈H₈)₂Cl₂(C₄H₈O)₂] or [Sc(COT)Cl(THF)]₂ (THF is tetrahydrofuran), (1), reveals a dimeric molecular structure with symmetric chloride bridges [average Sc—Cl = 2.5972 (7) Å] and a η⁸‐bound COT ligand. The COT ring is planar, with an average C—C bond length of 1.399 (3) Å. The Sc—C bond lengths range from 2.417 (2) to 2.438 (2) Å [average 2.427 (2) Å]. Direct comparison of (1) with the known lanthanide (Ln) analogues (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Sm) illustrates the effect of metal‐ion (M ) size on molecular structure. Overall, the M —Cl, M —O, and M —C bond lengths in (1) are the shortest in the series. In addition, only one THF molecule completes the coordination environment of the small Sc^III ion, in contrast to the previously reported dinuclear Ln–COT–Cl complexes, which all have two bound THF molecules per metal atom.     

Origin of Selectivity of a Triazinyl Ligand for Americium(III) over Neodymium(III)

[M(EtBTP)₃][BPh₄]₃ ⋅ 3 CH₃CN (M=Nd, Am; EtBTP=2,6-bis(5,6-diethyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine) have been synthesized from reactions of MCl₃ ⋅ n H₂O with EtBTP in acetonitrile followed by anion metathesis. Structural analysis reveals that these compounds contain M³⁺ cations bound by tridentate EtBTP ligands to create a tricapped trigonal prismatic geometry around the metal centers. Collection of high-resolution, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data also allowed reduction in bond lengths esd's, such that a slight contraction of Δ=0.0158(18) Å in the Am−N versus Nd−N bond lengths was observed, even though these cations ostensibly have matching ionic radii. Theoretical evaluation revealed enhanced metal–ligand bonding through back donation in the [Am(EtBTP)₃]³⁺ complex that is absent in [Nd(EtBTP)₃]³⁺.     

4‐Amino‐3‐methyl‐6‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5(4H)‐one (metamitron) and 4‐amino‐6‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5(4H)‐one (isometamitron)

The title structures, both C₁₀H₁₀N₄O, are substitutional isomers. The N—N bond lengths are longer and the C=N bond lengths are shorter by ca 0.025 Å than the respective average values in the C=N—N=C group of asymmetric triazines; the assessed respective bond orders are 1.3 and 1.7. There are N—H⋯O and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds in both structures, with 4‐­amino‐3‐methyl‐6‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5(4H)‐one containing a rare bifurcated N—H⋯N,N hydrogen bond. The structures differ in their mol­ecular stacking and the hydrogen‐bonding patterns.     

A Reinvestigation of the Structure and Torsional Potential of N2O5 by Gas‐Phase Electron Diffraction Augmented by Ab Initio Theoretical Calculations

Gaseous N₂O₅ consists of two NO₂ groups bonded to a bridging O‐atom to form a nonlinear N−O−N moiety. The NO₂ groups undergo slightly hindered internal rotation around the bonds to the bridge so that instantaneous composition of the gaseous system is characterized by molecules with all combinations of torsion angles. In an earlier investigation, an attempt was made to determine the coefficients for an empirical form of the double‐rotor torsional potential, and the bond lengths and bond angles measured subject to assumptions that the structure of the O−NO₂ groups was invariant to torsion angle and that these groups had C_2v symmetry. The system has now been reinvestigated in terms of a more realistic model in which this symmetry restriction was relaxed, account was taken of structural changes in the NO₂ groups with torsion angle as predicted by ab initio theory at the B3LYP/6‐311+G* level, and a more convenient form of the torsional potential was assumed. The most stable conformation has C₂ symmetry with torsion angles τ₁ (defined as ∢(N−O−N=O₄)) equal to τ₂ (defined as ∢(N−O−N=O₆)) equal to 33.7°; because of the broad potential minimum in this region, the uncertainty in these angles is difficult to estimate, but is probably 3 – 4°. The results for the bond lengths and bond angles for the most stable conformation are r_g(N−O)=1.505(4) Å, r_g(N=O)=1.188(2) Å, ∢_α(N−O−N)=112.3(17)°, ∢_α(O=N=O)=134.2(4)°, 〈∢_α(O−N=O)〉=112.8(2)°. The difference between the symmetry‐nonequivalent O−N=O angles is estimated to be ca. 6.7° with the larger angle positioning the two N=O bonds on different NO₂ groups nearest each other. These average values are similar to those obtained in the original study. The main difference is found in the shape of the torsional potential, which at τ₁/τ₂=0/0 has a saddle point in the present work and a substantial peak in the earlier. The implication of the torsion‐angle findings for electron‐diffraction investigations of this type is discussed.     

ThSi2 Type Ytterbium Disilicide and its Analogues YbTxSi2–x (T = Cr,Fe, Co)

YbSi₂ and the derivatives YbT_xSi_2–x (T = Cr, Fe, Co) crystallizing in the α‐ThSi₂ structure type were obtained as single crystals from reactions run in liquid indium. All silicides were investigated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, I4₁/amd space group and the lattice constants are: a = 3.9868(6) Å and c = 13.541(3) Å for YbSi₂, a = 4.0123(6) Å and c = 13.542(3) Å for YbCr_0.27Si_1.73, a = 4.0142(6) Å and c = 13.830(3) Å for YbCr_0.71Si_1.29, a = 4.0080(6) Å and c = 13.751(3) Å for YbFe_0.34Si_1.66, and a = 4.0036(6) Å, c = 13.707(3) Å for YbCo_0.21Si_1.79. YbSi₂ and YbT_xSi_2–x compounds are polar intermetallics with three‐dimensional Si and M (T+Si) polyanion sub‐networks, respectively, filled with ytterbium atoms. The degree of substitution of transition metal at the silicon site is signficant and leads to changes in the average bond lengths and bond angles substantially.