Cotton-Mouton effect, magnetizability anisotropy and molecular charge distribution of boron trichloride

Measurements of the magneto-optical Cotton-Mouton effect of gaseous BCl3 ov er a range of temperature (295.6-361.9 K) are analyzed in conjunction with the known electric polarizability anisotropy, mean magnetizability, molecul ar quadrupole moment and molecular geometry to obtain the magnetizability a nisotropy (Delta(chi) = chi(zz) - chi(xx)) and related magnetic properties (chi(zz), chi(xx), Delta chi(d), Delta chi(p), g(zz), - 1/2g(xx)) of this s pecies. The observation that Delta chi is negative in sign is consistent wi th Pauling's view of the molecular structure in terms of p pi-p pi interact ions, ionic-covalent resonance, partial double bond character and electron delocalization. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.