F+ and F⁻ affinities of simple N(x)F(y) and O(x)F(y) compounds

Atomization energies at 0 K and heats of formation at 0 and 298 K are predicted for the neutral and ionic N(x)F(y) and O(x)F(y) systems using coupled cluster theory with single and double excitations and including a perturbative triples correction (CCSD(T)) method with correlation consistent basis sets extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. To achieve near chemical accuracy (±1 kcal/mol), three corrections to the electronic energy were added to the frozen core CCSD(T)/CBS binding energies: corrections for core-valence, scalar relativistic, and first order atomic spin-orbit effects. Vibrational zero point energies were computed at the CCSD(T) level of theory where possible. The calculated heats of formation are in good agreement with the available experimental values, except for FOOF because of the neglect of higher order correlation corrections. The F(+) affinity in the N(x)F(y) series increases from N(2) to N(2)F(4) by 63 kcal/mol, while that in the O(2)F(y) series decreases by 18 kcal/mol from O(2) to O(2)F(2). Neither N(2) nor N(2)F(4) is predicted to bind F(-), and N(2)F(2) is a very weak Lewis acid with an F(-) affinity of about 10 kcal/mol for either the cis or trans isomer. The low F(-) affinities of the nitrogen fluorides explain why, in spite of the fact that many stable nitrogen fluoride cations are known, no nitrogen fluoride anions have been isolated so far. For example, the F(-) affinity of NF is predicted to be only 12.5 kcal/mol which explains the numerous experimental failures to prepare NF(2)(-) salts from the well-known strong acid HNF(2). The F(-) affinity of O(2) is predicted to have a small positive value and increases for O(2)F(2) by 23 kcal/mol, indicating that the O(2)F(3)(-) anion might be marginally stable at subambient temperatures. The calculated adiabatic ionization potentials and electron affinities are in good agreement with experiment considering that many of the experimental values are for vertical processes.     

Coordination Adducts of Niobium(V) and Tantalum(V) Azide M(N3)5 (M=Nb,Ta) with Nitrogen Donor Ligands and their Self‐Ionization

Several new donor–acceptor adducts of niobium and tantalum pentaazide with N‐donor ligands have been prepared from the pentafluorides by fluoride–azide exchange with Me₃SiN₃ in the presence of the corresponding donor ligand. With 2,2′‐bipyridine and 1,10‐phenanthroline, the self‐ionization products [MF₄(2,2′‐bipy)₂]⁺[M(N₃)₆]^?, [M(N₃)₄(2,2′‐bipy)₂]⁺[M(N₃)₆]^? and [M(N₃)₄(1,10‐phen)₂]⁺[M(N₃)₆]^? were obtained. With the donor ligands 3,3′‐bipyridine and 4,4′‐bipyridine the neutral pentaazide adducts (M(N₃)₅)₂?L (M=Nb, Ta; L=3,3′‐bipy, 4,4′‐bipy) were formed.     

Preparation of the First Manganese(III) and Manganese(IV) Azides

Fluoride‐azide exchange reactions of Me₃SiN₃ with MnF₂ and MnF₃ in acetonitrile resulted in the isolation of Mn(N₃)₂ and Mn(N₃)₃?CH₃CN, respectively. While Mn(N₃)₂ forms [PPh₄]₂[Mn(N₃)₄] and (bipy)₂Mn(N₃)₂ upon reaction with PPh₄N₃ and 2,2′‐bipyridine (bipy), respectively, the manganese(III) azide undergoes disproportionation and forms mixtures of [PPh₄]₂[Mn(N₃)₄] and [PPh₄]₂[Mn(N₃)₆], as well as (bipy)₂Mn(N₃)₂ and (bipy)Mn(N₃)₄. Neat and highly sensitive Cs₂[Mn(N₃)₆] was obtained through the reaction of Cs₂MnF₆ with Me₃SiN₃ in CH₃CN.     

Bond dissociation energies in second-row compounds

Heats of formation at 0 and 298 K are predicted for PF3, PF5, PF3O, SF2, SF4, SF6, SF2O, SF2O2, and SF4O as well as a number of radicals derived from these stable compounds on the basis of coupled cluster theory [CCSD(T)] calculations extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. In order to achieve near chemical accuracy (+/-1 kcal/mol), additional corrections were added to the complete basis set binding energies based on frozen core coupled cluster theory energies: a correction for core-valence effects, a correction for scalar relativistic effects, a correction for first-order atomic spin-orbit effects, and vibrational zero-point energies. The calculated values substantially reduce the error limits for these species. A detailed comparison of adiabatic and diabatic bond dissociation energies (BDEs) is made and used to explain trends in the BDEs. Because the adiabatic BDEs of polyatomic molecules represent not only the energy required for breaking a specific bond but also contain any reorganization energies of the bonds in the resulting products, these BDEs can be quite different for each step in the stepwise loss of ligands in binary compounds. For example, the adiabatic BDE for the removal of one fluorine ligand from the very stable closed-shell SF6 molecule to give the unstable SF5 radical is 2.8 times the BDE needed for the removal of one fluorine ligand from the unstable SF5 radical to give the stable closed-shell SF4 molecule. Similarly, the BDE for the removal of one fluorine ligand from the stable closed-shell PF3O molecule to give the unstable PF2O radical is higher than the BDE needed to remove the oxygen atom to give the stable closed-shell PF3 molecule. The same principles govern the BDEs of the phosphorus fluorides and the sulfur oxofluorides. In polyatomic molecules, care must be exercised not to equate BDEs with the bond strengths of given bonds. The measurement of the bond strength or stiffness of a given bond represented by its force constant involves only a small displacement of the atoms near equilibrium and, therefore, does not involve any reorganization energies, i.e., it may be more appropriate to correlate with the diabatic product states.     

Energetics and mechanism of the decomposition of trifluoromethanol

The thermal instability of alpha-fluoroalcohols is generally attributed to a unimolecular 1,2-elimination of HF, but the barrier to intramolecular HF elimination from CF3OH is predicted to be 45.1 +/- 2 kcal/mol. The thermochemical parameters of trifluoromethanol were calculated using coupled-cluster theory (CCSD(T)) extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. High barriers of 42.9, 43.1, and 45.0 kcal/mol were predicted for the unimolecular decompositions of CH2FOH, CHF2OH, and CF3OH, respectively. These barriers are lowered substantially if cyclic H-bonded dimers of CF3OH with complexation energies of approximately 5 kcal/mol are involved. A six-membered ring dimer has an energy barrier of 28.7 kcal/mol and an eight-membered dimer has an energy barrier of 32.9 kcal/mol. Complexes of CF3OH with HF lead to strong H-bonded dimers, trimers and tetramers with complexation energies of approximately 6, 11, and 16 kcal/mol, respectively. The dimer, CH3OH:HF, and the trimers, CF3OH:2HF and (CH3OH)2:HF, have decomposition energy barriers of 26.7, 20.3, and 22.8 kcal/mol, respectively. The tetramer (CH3OH:HF)2 gives rise to elimination of two HF molecules with a barrier of 32.5 kcal/mol. Either CF3OH or HF can act as catalysts for HF-elimination via an H-transfer relay. Because HF is one of the decomposition products, the decomposition reactions become autocatalytic. If the energies due to complexation for the CF3OH-HF adducts are not dissipated, the effective barriers to HF elimination are lowered from approximately 20 to approximately 9 kcal/mol, which reconciles the computational results with the experimentally observed stabilities.     

Binary group 15 polyazides. structural characterization of [Bi(N3)4]-, [Bi(N3)5]2-, [bipy·Bi(N3)5]2-, [Bi(N3)6]3-, bipy·As(N3)3, bipy·Sb(N3)3, and [(bipy)2·Bi(N3)3]2 and on the lone pair activation of valence electrons

The binary group 15 polyazides As(N(3))(3), Sb(N(3))(3), and Bi(N(3))(3) were stabilized by either anion or donor-acceptor adduct formation. Crystal structures are reported for [Bi(N(3))(4)](-), [Bi(N(3))(5)](2-), [bipy·Bi(N(3))(5)](2-), [Bi(N(3))(6)](3-), bipy·As(N(3))(3), bipy·Sb(N(3))(3), and [(bipy)(2)·Bi(N(3))(3)](2). The lone valence electron pair on the central atom of these pnictogen(+III) compounds can be either sterically active or inactive. The [Bi(N(3))(5)](2-) anion possesses a sterically active lone pair and a monomeric pseudo-octahedral structure with a coordination number of 6, whereas its 2,2'-bipyridine adduct exhibits a pseudo-monocapped trigonal prismatic structure with CN 7 and a sterically inactive lone pair. Because of the high oxidizing power of Bi(+V), reactions aimed at Bi(N(3))(5) and [Bi(N(3))(6)](-) resulted in the reduction to bismuth(+III) compounds by [N(3)](-). The powder X-ray diffraction pattern of Bi(N(3))(3) was recorded at 298 K and is distinct from that calculated for Sb(N(3))(3) from its single-crystal data at 223 K. The [(bipy)(2)·Bi(N(3))(3)](2) adduct is dimeric and derived from two BiN(8) square antiprisms sharing an edge consisting of two μ(1,1)-bridging N(3) ligands and with bismuth having CN 8 and a sterically inactive lone pair. The novel bipy·As(N(3))(3) and bipy·Sb(N(3))(3) adducts are monomeric and isostructural and contain a sterically active lone pair on their central atom and a CN of 6. A systematic quantum chemical analysis of the structures of these polyazides suggests that the M06-2X density functional is well suited for the prediction of the steric activity of lone pairs in main-group chemistry. Furthermore, it was found that the solid-state structures can strongly differ from those of the free gas-phase species or those in solutions and that lone pairs that are sterically inactive in a chemical surrounding can become activated in the free isolated species.     

New signal processing method for the faster observation of natural-abundance 15N NMR spectra and its application to N5+

The new harmonic inversion noise reduction method was applied to (15)N natural-abundance NMR spectroscopy and N(5)SbF(6). This method is superior to conventional Fourier transform methods for processing FIDs and permits the detection of natural abundance (15)N NMR signals with significantly reduced numbers of scans and improved sensitivity. In addition to the confirmation of the previously reported chemical shifts for N(5)(+), the one bond coupling between N(beta) and N(gamma) could be observed for the first time. Its absolute value is compared to known coupling constants of other covalent azides and the free azide ion.     

ChemInform Abstract: Structure and Heats of Formation of Iodine Fluorides and the Respective Closed‐Shell Ions from CCSD(T) Electronic Structure Calculations and Reliable Prediction of the Steric Activity of the Free‐Valence Electron Pair in ClF6‐, BrF6‐, and IF6‐

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