X-ray spectroscopic study of chemical bonding in NiSe and NiSe2

The K absorption spectra of nickel and selenium have been recorded photographically in the pure metals and the compounds NiSe and NiSe₂. It has been observed that the Ni discontinuity shifts toward the high energy side with respect to that in the pure metal by about 5.0 eV for NiSe and about 6.7 eV for NiSe₂. The Se edge in both these compounds is found to shift by about 2.6 eV toward the low energy side with respect to that in pure selenium. From these results it is possible to obtain the bonding pictures for the compounds. The compound NiSe appears to have resonating p³ type of bonding. For NiSe₂ the orbitals involved in the bonding are d²sp³ for the metal atom and sp³ for the metalloid atom. The electrical behaviour of the compounds has been explained on the basis of these bonding pictures.