The Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Arsenic Atom in Molecular Entities in Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor

In chemical systems, the arsenic-centered pnictogen bond, or simply the arsenic bond, occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between the electrophilic region associated with a covalently or coordinately bound arsenic atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophile in another or the same molecular entity. It is the third member of the family of pnictogen bonds formed by the third atom of the pnictogen family, Group 15 of the periodic table, and is an inter- or intramolecular noncovalent interaction. In this overview, we present several illustrative crystal structures deposited into the Cambridge Structure Database (CSD) and the Inorganic Chemistry Structural Database (ICSD) during the last and current centuries to demonstrate that the arsenic atom in molecular entities has a significant ability to act as an electrophilic agent to make an attractive engagement with nucleophiles when in close vicinity, thereby forming σ-hole or π-hole interactions, and hence driving (in part, at least) the overall stability of the system’s crystalline phase. This overview does not include results from theoretical simulations reported by others as none of them address the signatory details of As-centered pnictogen bonds. Rather, we aimed at highlighting the interaction modes of arsenic-centered σ- and π-holes in the rationale design of crystal lattices to demonstrate that such interactions are abundant in crystalline materials, but care has to be taken to identify them as is usually done with the much more widely known noncovalent interactions in chemical systems, halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding. We also demonstrate that As-centered pnictogen bonds are usually accompanied by other primary and secondary interactions, which reinforce their occurrence and strength in most of the crystal structures illustrated. A statistical analysis of structures deposited into the CSD was performed for each interaction type As···D (D = N, O, S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, I, arene’s π system), thus providing insight into the typical nature of As···D interaction distances and ∠R–As···D bond angles of these interactions in crystals, where R is the remainder of the molecular entity.     

Electron-rich three-center bonding: role of s,p interactions across the p-block

This paper analyzes the importance of s,p mixing-a necessary addition to the simplest Rundle-Pimentel picture-and periodic and group trends in electron-rich three-center bonding. Our analysis proceeds through a detailed quantum chemical study of the stability of electron-rich three-center bonding in triatomic 22-valence electron anions. To provide interpretations, a perturbational molecular orbital (MO) analysis of s,p mixing is carried out. This analysis of the orbitals and the overlap populations is then tested by density functional calculations for a number of linear trihalides, trichalcogenides, and tripnictides. The most important effect of s,p mixing on the in-line bonding is in destabilization of the 3sigma(g) orbital and is determined by the overlap between the s orbital of the central atom and the p orbital of the terminal atom. Further destabilization arises from the repulsion of p(pi) lone pairs. Both of these antibonding effects increase with increasing negative charge of the system. The stability of isoelectronic X(3) systems thus decreases when moving from right to left in the periodic table. Interesting group trends are discerned; for instance, for the electron-rich tripnictides, the ability to accommodate a hypervalent electron count is the largest in the middle rather at the end of the group. Particularly strong s,p mixing can reverse the bonding/antibonding character of MOs: thus MO 2sigma(u) that is responsible for bonding for trihalides and trichalcogenides is actually antibonding in N(3)(7)(-).     

The Phosphorus Bond,or the Phosphorus-Centered Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Phosphorus Atom in Molecular Entities and Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor

The phosphorus bond in chemical systems, which is an inter- or intramolecular noncovalent interaction, occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with a covalently or coordinately bonded phosphorus atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophile in another, or the same, molecular entity. It is the second member of the family of pnictogen bonds, formed by the second member of the pnictogen family of the periodic table. In this overview, we provide the reader with a snapshot of the nature, and possible occurrences, of phosphorus-centered pnictogen bonding in illustrative chemical crystal systems drawn from the ICSD (Inorganic Crystal Structure Database) and CSD (Cambridge Structural Database) databases, some of which date back to the latter part of the last century. The illustrative systems discussed are expected to assist as a guide to researchers in rationalizing phosphorus-centered pnictogen bonding in the rational design of molecular complexes, crystals, and materials and their subsequent characterization.     

也论化学元素周期表的形成和发展

In the time order, the author proposes that the discovery and development of the periodic table of chemical elements are divided into four stages:point→1D→2D→3D. This article cites the main historical facts and documents available to unscramble the above four stages, which will facilitate the teaching and scientific research of the periodic table.     

Balancing Donor-Acceptor and Dispersion Effects in Heavy Main Group Element π Interactions: Effect of Substituents on the Pnictogen⋅⋅⋅π Arene Interaction

High-level ab initio calculations using the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method in conjunction with the local energy decomposition (LED) were performed to investigate the nature of the intermolecular interaction in bismuth trichloride adducts with π arene systems. Special emphasis was put on the effect of substituents in the aromatic ring. For this purpose, benzene derivatives with one or three substituents (R=NO₂, CF₃, OCHO, OH, and NH₂) were chosen and their influence on donor-acceptor interaction as well as on the overall interaction strength was examined. Local energy decomposition was performed to gain deeper insight into the composition of the interaction. Additionally, the study was extended to the intermolecular adducts of arsenic and antimony trichloride with benzene derivatives having one substituent (R=NO₂ and NH₂) in order to rationalize trends in the periodic table. The analysis of natural charges and frontier molecular orbitals shows that donor-acceptor interactions are of π→σ* type and that their strength correlates with charge transfer and orbital energy differences. An analysis of different bonding motifs (Bi⋅⋅⋅π arene, Bi⋅⋅⋅R, and Cl⋅⋅⋅π arene) shows that if dispersion and donor-acceptor interaction coincide as the donor highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the arene is delocalized over the π system, the M⋅⋅⋅π arene motif is preferred. If the donor HOMO is localized on the substituent, R⋅⋅⋅π arene bonding motifs are preferred. The Cl⋅⋅⋅π arene bonding motif is the least favorable with the lowest overall interaction energy.     

The Relevance of Experimental Charge Density Analysis in Unraveling Noncovalent Interactions in Molecular Crystals

The work carried out by our research group over the last couple of decades in the context of quantitative crystal engineering involves the analysis of intermolecular interactions such as carbon (tetrel) bonding, pnicogen bonding, chalcogen bonding, and halogen bonding using experimental charge density methodology is reviewed. The focus is to extract electron density distribution in the intermolecular space and to obtain guidelines to evaluate the strength and directionality of such interactions towards the design of molecular crystals with desired properties. Following the early studies on halogen bonding interactions, several “sigma-hole” interaction types with similar electrostatic origins have been explored in recent times for their strength, origin, and structural consequences. These include interactions such as carbon (tetrel) bonding, pnicogen bonding, chalcogen bonding, and halogen bonding. Experimental X-ray charge density analysis has proved to be a powerful tool in unraveling the strength and electronic origin of such interactions, providing insights beyond the theoretical estimates from gas-phase molecular dimer calculations. In this mini-review, we outline some selected contributions from the X-ray charge density studies to the field of non-covalent interactions (NCIs) involving elements of the groups 14–17 of the periodic table. Quantitative insights into the nature of these interactions obtained from the experimental electron density distribution and subsequent topological analysis by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) have been discussed. A few notable examples of weak interactions have been presented in terms of their experimental charge density features. These examples reveal not only the strength and beauty of X-ray charge density multipole modeling as an advanced structural chemistry tool but also its utility in providing experimental benchmarks for the theoretical studies of weak interactions in crystals.     

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the o-(aminomethyl) phenols

Conclusions The strength of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the o-(aminomethyl)phenols varies by some 5 kcal/mole, depending on the substituent at the nitrogen atom and in the benzene ring. Steric effects from the substituent determine the bonding strength.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 331–334, February, 1977.     

The First-principles Study of Hydrogen Adsorption and Diffusion on the Biaxial Strained Fe(110) Surface

Hydrogen is known to play a negative role in mechanical properties of steel due to hydrogen embrittlement. Surface strain modifies the surface reactivity. In this paper, we employed spin-polarized periodic density functional to study the atomic H adsorption and diffusion on the biaxial strained Fe(110) surface. The result shows that the adsorption of H at the Tf site is the most stable on compressive surface and tensile surface. And H atom on the top site relaxes to Tf site on the strained surface. The adsorbed hydrogen atom at all calculated adsorption sites relaxes towards the surface due to the tensile strain. Lattice compression makes the bonding strength weaker between H atom and the surface. The analysis of the partial density of states shows that H 1 s orbital hybridizes with the Fe 4 s orbital. The result of charge density difference shows electrons are transferred from Fe to H atom. Compressive strain reduces the transferred electrons and decreases the Mulliken electrons of Fe 4 s orbital, which weaken the bonding interaction between H and Fe atoms. H atom diffuses into subsurface through a distorted tetrahedron. Surface strain does not change diffusion path but affects the diffusion barrier energy. Tetrahedron gap volume in the transition state of compressive system decreases to increase the diffusion barrier. This suggests compressive strain impedes H penetrating into the Fe subsurface. The present results indicate that it is a way to control adsorption and diffusion of hydrogen on the Fe surface by surface strain.     

Designing New Materials Using Atomic Clusters

Designing principles for forming stable metallic clusters whose chemistry mimics different atoms of the periodic table are discussed. It is shown that while bulk Al is a metal, the chemistry of an Al₁₃ resembles that of a halogen atom, a CAl₁₂ resembles an inert atom, while a NAl₁₂ resembles an alkali atom. The feasibility of making new materials using clusters as the building blocks is discussed. An ionic solid made out of Al₁₃ (or BAl₁₂) and Cs is shown to be metastable and marked by a large gap at the Fermi energy even though bulk Al and Cs are metals.     

Electronegativity estimator built on QTAIM‐based domains of the bond electron density

The electron localization function, natural localized molecular orbitals, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules have been used all together to analyze the bond electron density (BED) distribution of different hydrogen‐containing compounds through the definition of atomic contributions to the bonding regions. A function, g_AH, obtained from those contributions is analyzed along the second and third periods of the periodic table. It exhibits periodic trends typically assigned to the electronegativity (χ), and it is also sensitive to hybridization variations. This function also shows an interesting S shape with different χ‐scales, Allred–Rochow's being the one exhibiting the best monotonical increase with regard to the BED taken by each atom of the bond. Therefore, we think this χ can be actually related to the BED distribution. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Transition metal-boron complexes BnM: from bowls (n = 8-14) to tires (n = 14)

Transition metal-boron complexes BnM have been predicted at density functional theory level to be molecular bowls (n = 8-14) hosting a transition metal atom (M) inside or molecular tires (n = 14) centered with a transition metal atom. Small Bn clusters prove to be effective inorganic ligands to all the VB-VIIIB transition metal elements in the periodic table. Density functional evidences obtained in this work strongly suggest that bowl-shaped fullerene analogues of Bn units exist in small BnM complexes and the bowl-to-tire structural transition occur to the first-row transition metal complexes BnM (M = Mn, Fe, Co) at n = 14, a size obviously smaller than n = 20 where the 2D-3D structural transition occurs to bare Bn. The half-sandwich-type B12Cr (C3v), full sandwich-type (B12)2Cr (D3d), bowl-shaped B14Fe (C2), and tire-shaped B14Fe (D7d) and B14Fe- (C7v) are the most interesting prototypes to be targeted in future experiments. These BnM complexes may serve as building blocks to form extended boron-rich BnMm tubes or cages (m > or = 2) or as structural units to be placed inside carbon nanotubes with suitable diameters.     

Hybridization: A Chemical Bonding Nature of Atoms

Both the bonding mode and geometry can serve as the chemical bonding nature of central cation, which is essentially determined by the atomic orbital‐hybridization. In this work, we focus on the possible chemical bonding scheme of central cations on the basis of a quantitative analysis of electron domain of an atom. Starting from the hybridization of outer atomic orbitals that are occupied by valence electrons, we studied the possible orbital hybridization scheme of atoms in the periodic table and the corresponding coordination number as well as possible molecular geometries. According to distinct hybrid orbital sets, the chemical bonding of central cations can be classified into three typical types, resulting in the cations with a variety of coordination numbers ranging from 2 to 16. Owing to different hybridization modes, the highest coordination number of cations in IA and IIA groups is larger than that in IB‐VIIIB groups, and the coordination number of lanthanide elements is most abundant. We also selected NaNO₃ , Fe(NO₃ )₃•9H₂O , Zn(NO₃ )₂•6H₂O , Y(NO₃ )₃•3H₂O , and La(NO₃ )₃•6H₂O as examples to confirm the direct relationship between chemical bonding characteristics and orbital hybrid set by IR spectra. The present study opens the door to reveal the chemical bonding nature of atoms on the basis of hybridization and will provide theoretical guides in structural design at an atomic level.     

Roussin红盐和Roussin黑盐的电子结构

Roussin黑盐簇阴离子及其"元件化合物"Roussin红盐簇阴离子,是固氮酶活性中心福州模型I(网兜状原子簇模型)的模型物.本文用闭壳层CNDO/2(S,D方案)法计算了它们的电子结构.根据计算所得的Mulliken重叠集居,电荷密度,分子轨道能量和轨道特征等数据,对成键性质进行了分析,得出如下主要结论:两种簇阴离子骨架电子的非定域性都比较强,桥硫原子Sb在由红盐形成黑盐的电子转移过程中起施主作用,两种簇阴离子中都存在M-M键,强度与M-Sb键相近,其主要贡献都来源于金属的s,pz,dz2轨道与硫原子的s,pz轨道之间的σ作用,金属d轨道的π作用对整个骨架的成键贡献很小.     

Interesting periodic variations in physical and chemical properties of homonuclear diatomic molecules

We carry out a systematic study of various ground state and response properties of homonuclear diatomic molecules (from hydrogen to rubidium, including transition metals) as a function of atomic number of constituent atoms. We perform the ground state and response property calculations by using state of the art density functional theory/time dependent density functional theory. We observe that several properties of homonuclear diatomic molecules show periodic variations along rows and columns of the periodic table. The periodic variations in the ground state properties of diatomic molecules may be explained by the nature and type of the bond that exists between the constituent atoms. Similarly, the periodic variations in the response properties such as static dipole polarizability and strength of the van der Waals interaction between diatomic molecules have been correlated with the variations in metallic/nonmetallic character of the elements along the periodic table. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012     

电负性与原子价层轨道能

用密度泛函理论论证了原子价层轨道能与元素电负性之间的密切关系，说明如何用原子价层轨道能对元素电负性的概念进行解释，从而使周期表中元素电负性更容易被理解和计算。     

Hydrogen bonds, improper hydrogen bonds and dihydrogen bonds

The structures, interaction energies and vibrational spectra of a large number of molecular complexes, formed by binary combination of the covalent hydrides of some of the elements of the first two rows of the periodic table, have been determined by means of ab initio molecular orbital theory at the MP2 level, using the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. The results are discussed in terms of a variety of different types of interaction experienced by the monomer species as they undergo association, namely conventional hydrogen bonding, improper hydrogen bonding, dihydrogen bonding and electron donor–acceptor interaction.     

Solution-processable white-light-emitting hybrid semiconductor bulk materials with high photoluminescence quantum efficiency

Glowing white: Bulk hybrid semiconductor materials built from periodic nanostructured 2D layers of ZnS emit bright white light. Their emission intensity, quantum efficiency, and color quality can be systematically tuned by varying the composition of both the inorganic and organic components. The materials show great promise as a new type of single-phase white-light-emitting phosphors.     

On the planar periodic table

We reconsider, in this work, the construction of the two‐dimensional (2‐D) periodic table. The two‐dimensional logarithmic Coulomb system is used to generate atomic shells for the 2‐D atoms. A q‐deformed model is developed to explain the ordering of the shells predicted by the 2‐D Madelung rule. Our model, with the value q=1.26 for the deformation parameter, reproduce very well the above rule. We also compute the key function and the address function which, together with our model for the Madelung rule, permit us to give a new format of the 2‐D periodic table. It is shown that this table is different from the one existing in the literature, and we have a new family of elements, the g family. The question of the existence of 2‐D “ions” is briefly discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 78: 206–211, 2000     

INDO-MO Model with s-p-d Separation

A newly developed semiempirical method, “the INDO-MO model with s-p-d separation” is introduced. Based on the assumption of the equivalent basis functions in the set for each angular-momentum quantum number, the average type electronic repulsion integrals of 3d orbitals are suggested. Similar to our former s-p-d separation CNDO-MO formulation, the proportionality factor K₀₁ for the bonding parameter for each period of the periodic table is proposed for our method of semiempirical calculation.