Kazuhiko Matsumoto

Syntheses and Structures of F6 XeNCCH3 and F6 Xe(NCCH3)2.

Acetonitrile and the potent oxidative fluorinating agent XeF6 react at -40 °C in Freon-114 to form the highly energetic, shock-sensitive compounds F6XeNCCH3 (1) and F6Xe(NCCH3)2⋅CH3CN (2⋅CH3CN). Their low-temperature single-crystal X-ray structures show that the adducted XeF6 molecules of these compounds are the most isolated XeF6 moieties thus far encountered in the solid state and also provide the first examples of Xe(VI)-N bonds. The geometry of the XeF6 moiety in 1 is nearly identical to the calculated distorted octahedral (C3v) geometry of gas-phase XeF6. The C2v geometry of the XeF6 moiety in 2 resembles the transition state proposed to account for the fluxionality of gas-phase XeF6. The energy-minimized gas-phase geometries and vibrational frequencies were calculated for 1 and 2, and their respective binding energies with CH3CN were determined. The Raman spectra of 1 and 2⋅CH3CN were assigned by comparison with their calculated vibrational frequencies and intensities.

Syntheses and Structures of Xenon Trioxide Alkylnitrile Adducts

The potent oxidizer and highly shock-sensitive binary noble-gas oxide XeO3 interacts with CH3 CN and CH3 CH2 CN to form O3 XeNCCH3 , O3 Xe(NCCH3 )2 , O3 XeNCCH2 CH3 , and O3 Xe(NCCH2 CH3 )2 . Their low-temperature single-crystal X-ray structures show that the xenon atoms are consistently coordinated to three donor atoms, which results in pseudo-octahedral environments around the xenon atoms. The adduct series provides the first examples of a neutral xenon oxide bound to nitrogen bases. Raman frequency shifts and Xe-N bond lengths are consistent with complex formation. Energy-minimized gas-phase geometries and vibrational frequencies were obtained for the model compounds O3 Xe(NCCH3 )n (n=1-3) and O3 Xe(NCCH3 )n ⋅[O3 Xe(NCCH3 )2 ]2 (n=1, 2). Natural bond orbital (NBO), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), electron localization function (ELF), and molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) analyses were carried out to further probe the nature of the bonding in these adducts.

Nature of the Xe(VI)-N Bonds in F6 XeNCCH3 and F6 Xe(NCCH3)2 and the Stereochemical Activity of Their Xenon Valence Electron Lone Pairs.

The recently reported syntheses and X-ray crystal structures of the highly endothermic compounds F6XeNCCH3 and F6Xe(NCCH3)2 ⋅CH3CN provide the first, albeit weakly covalent, Xe(VI)-N bonds. The XeF6 unit of F6 XeNCCH3 possesses distorted octahedral (C3v ) symmetry similar to gas-phase XeF6 , whereas the XeF6 unit of F6 Xe(NCCH3)2 ⋅CH3CN possesses C2v symmetry. Herein, the natural bond orbital (NBO), atoms in molecules (AIM), electron localization function (ELF), and molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) analyses show that the Xe valence electron lone pairs (VELPs) of both compounds are stereochemically active. The Xe VELPS are diffuse and ineffectively screen their Xe cores so that the Xe VELP positions correspond to the most electrophilic regions of the MEPS, which enables the opposing N VELP of CH3CN to coordinate to this region. These bonds are predominantly electrostatic in nature and are interpreted as σ-hole interactions.