ESR and structure of SO2Cl?√2

A single crystal ESR study is reported on the radial anion of sulphury chloride. In addition to the main spectrum which can be ananyzed in terms of anisotropic hyperfine coupling to two equivalent chlorines, the satellite spectrum of ³³SO₂Cl^?√₂ has been observed in natural abundance. The isotropic value of ca. 200 G for the ³³S hyperfine splitting corresponds to a spin population of 0.21–0.24 in the 3s orbital of sulphur. From the anisotropic chlorine coupling, a spin population of 0.31 in the 3p orbital on each chlorine atom has been derived. These results are consistent with a C_2v trigonal-bipyramid structure, the unpaired electron occupying a molecular orbital of a₁ representation which is localized to a considerable extent in the σ orbitals of the chlorine ligands in the apical positions. A similar structure is indicated by other results for certain isoelectronic phosphorus-centered radicals.