Generation and Identification of the Linear OCBNO and OBNCO Molecules with 24 Valence Electrons

Two structural isomers containing five second-row element atoms with 24 valence electrons were generated and identified by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The OCBNO complex, which is produced by the reaction of boron atoms with mixtures of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in solid neon, rearranges to the more stable OBNCO isomer on UV excitation. Bonding analysis indicates that the OCBNO complex is best described by the bonding interactions between a triplet-state boron cation with an electron configuration of (2s)⁰(2p_σ)⁰(2p_π)² and the CO/NO⁻ ligands in the triplet state forming two degenerate electron-sharing π bonds and two ligand-to-boron dative σ bonds.     

Inorganic Double‐Helix Nanotoroid of Simple LithiumPhosphorus Species

A theoretical study of Li₉₀P₉₀, which possesses a circular double‐helix structure that resembles the Watson–Crick DNA structure, is reported. This is a new bonding motif in inorganic chemistry. The calculations show that the molecule might become synthesized and that it could be a model for other inorganic species which possess a double‐helix structure.     

Filling a Gap: The Coordinatively Saturated Group 4 Carbonyl Complexes TM(CO)8 (TM=Zr,Hf) and Ti(CO)7

Homoleptic Group 4 metal carbonyl cation and neutral complexes were prepared in the gas phase and/or in solid neon matrix. Infrared spectroscopy studies reveal that both zirconium and hafnium form eight-coordinate carbonyl neutral and cation complexes. In contrast, titanium forms only the six-coordinate Ti(CO)₆⁺ and seven-coordinate Ti(CO)₇. Titanium octacarbonyl Ti(CO)₈ is unstable as a result of steric repulsion between the CO ligands. The 20-electron Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ complexes represent the first experimentally observed homoleptic octacarbonyl neutral complexes of transition metals. The molecules still fulfill the 18-electron rule, because one doubly occupied valence orbital does not mix with any of the metal valence atomic orbitals. Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ are stable against the loss of one CO because the CO ligands encounter less steric repulsion than Zr(CO)₇ and Hf(CO)₇. The heptacarbonyl complexes have shorter metal−CO bonds than that of the octacarbonyl complexes due to stronger electrostatic and covalent bonding, but the significantly smaller repulsive Pauli term makes the octacarbonyl complexes stable.     

Polymer-coated cation exchangers in high-performance ion chromatography: preparation and application

Low-capacity cation-exchange stationary phases for ion chromatography were prepared by coating a vinyl-modified silica gel with polystyrene or poly(glycidyl methacrylate). Strong acid ion-exchange groups were formed by sulphonation with concentrated sulphuric acid or by ring opening of the polymer-coated silica gels with sulphite solution. Carbon-sulphur elemental analyses of the polymer-coated cation exchangers (PCCEs) were applied to determine the average polymer film thickness. The pH stability depended on the polymer film thickness. The PCCEs were stable in the pH range 0.5–9. The low-capacity PCCEs (capacities 18–91 μmol/g) were applied to determine alkali and alkaline earth metal ions in tap and mineral waters.     

The nature of the chemical bond revisited. An energy partitioning analysis of diatomic molecules E2 (E=N–Bi, F–I), CO and BF

The nature of the chemical bonds in the diatomic molecules E₂ (E=N–Bi, F–I), CO and BF has been studied with an energy partitioning analysis using gradient-corrected density functional theory calculations. The results make it possible to estimate quantitatively the strength of covalent and electrostatic attractions and the Pauli repulsion between the atoms. The data suggest that some traditional explanations regarding the strength of the molecules should be modified. The energy partitioning analysis shows that the chemical bonds in the group 15 diatomic molecules have significant electrostatic character, which increases from 30.1% in N₂ to 58.3% in Bi₂. The contribution of the electrostatic attraction to the binding interactions in Sb₂ and Bi₂ is larger than the covalent bonding. The strength of the bonding in the triply bonded dinitrogen is less than that of the bonding. The calculations indicate that E is between 32.2% (Bi₂) and 40.0% (P₂) of the total orbital interaction energy (E_orb). The much stronger bond of N₂, as compared with the heavier group 15 E₂ homologues, is not caused by a particularly strong contribution by the bonding, but rather by the relatively large interactions. The comparison of N₂ with isoelectronic CO shows that the electrostatic character in the heteroatomic molecule is slightly smaller (28.8%) than in the homoatomic molecule. The contribution of the bonding in CO is larger (49.2%) than in N₂ (34.3%). The reason why CO has a stronger bond than N₂ is the significantly weaker Pauli repulsion in CO. The electrostatic character of the bonding in BF is slightly larger (32.0%) than in CO and N₂. BF has much weaker -bonding contributions that provide only 11.2% of the covalent interactions, which is why BF has a much weaker bond than CO and N₂. The chemical bonds in the dihalogen molecules have much higher covalent than electrostatic character. The E_orb term contributes between 74.4% (Br₂) and 79.7% (F₂) to the total attractive interactions. The relatively weak bond in F₂ comes from the rather large Pauli repulsion.Contribution to the Jacopo Tomasi Honorary Issue