SCF LCGO MO studies on the fluoronium ion FH 2 + and its hydrogen bonding interaction with hydrogen fluoride FH

The stability and geometrical structure of the fluoronium ion is investigated using the onedeterminant SCF LCAO MO method. The equilibrium geometry is characterized by a bond length of d(FH)=0.95 Å and a bond angle of 114.75°. The proton binding energy is determined to be 120.1 kcal/mole. The molecules FH ₃ ²⁺ and FH₃ are found to be unstable. A binding energy of 30.7 kcal/mole is obtained for the hydrogen bond formation between the systems FH ₂ ⁺ and FH. In the minimum energy structure the central proton is situated midway between the two F atoms in a symmetrical single minimum potential. The general behavior of the potential curves of the di-solvated proton involving NH₃, OH₂, and FH as solvent molecules is discussed. In all these cases double minimum potentials are found, if the equilibrium separation between the heavy atoms is larger than approximately 2.4 Å, and single minimum potential for separations smaller than this value.