INVESTIGATION OF THE STRUCTURE AND ENERGETICS OF BETA-DIKETONATES .2.STRUCTURE OF THE BIS-DIPIVALOYLMETHANATOCOPPER(II) MOLECULE BY GAS-PHASE ELECTRON-DIFFRACTION

A concurrent electron diffraction and mass spectrometric study of bis- dipivaloylmethanatocopper(II) has been carried out. The molecule has D 2h symmetry with the C-C(Me) bond of the tert-butyl group eclipsing th e C...C bond of the chelate ring. The force constant f(Cu-O) was deter mined from the electron diffraction results and the frequencies of the vibrations in which stretching of the Cu-O bond plays a predominant r ole were estimated.