Electronic structure and molecular properties of the [Mo6X8L6]; X = Cl, Br, I; L = F, Cl, Br, I clusters

Relativistic TDDFT calculations including spin orbit interactions via the ZORA approximation and solvent effects were carried out on the [Mo₆X₈L₆]²⁻ X = Cl, Br, I ; L = F, Cl, Br, I clusters. These calculations indicate that the closely spaced lowest excited states are largely centered on the cubic [Mo₆X₈]⁴⁺ core. Thus, our calculations and the electronic similarities with the strongly luminescent [Mo₆Cl₈Cl₆]²⁻, [Mo₆Br₈Br₆]²⁻ and [Mo₆I₈I₆]²⁻ clusters, suggest that the clusters [Mo₆Cl₈F₆]²⁻, [Mo₆Br₈F₆]²⁻, [Mo₆I₈F₆]²⁻, [Mo₆I₈Cl₆]²⁻ and [Mo₆I₈Br₆]²⁻ studied here might be also luminescent. The calculated bond energies and reactivity indexes indicate that the most labile clusters are those with axial iodide ligands.