B. Schimmelpfennig et al., The gas phase structures of tungsten chlorides: density functional theory calculations on WCl6, WCl5, WCl4, WCl3 and W2Cl6, J CHEM S DA, (10), 2001, pp. 1616-1620
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry
Journal title
JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-DALTON TRANSACTIONS
The molecular structures of WCl6, WCl5, WCl4, WCl3 and the dimer W2Cl6 have
been optimised by density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP leve
l using the quasi-relativistic electron core potential in combination with
basis sets of DZ+P quality. The experimental, octahedral structure and the
vibrational frequencies of the hexachloride are well reproduced by the calc
ulations. Calculations on the pentachloride under D-3h symmetry indicated a
n orbitally degenerate (E-2") ground state with bond distances in good agre
ement with experiment. The Jahn-Teller (J-T) energy of distortion to C-2v s
ymmetry was calculated to 1.8 kJ mol(-1), an order of magnitude smaller tha
n the estimated spin-orbit (L-S) coupling energy. This is in agreement with
an earlier suggestion that J-T distortion is this molecule is quenched by
L-S coupling. The ground state of WCl4 is found to be a tetrahedral (T-d) t
riplet, that of WCl3 a trigonal planar (D-3h) quartet and that of W2Cl6 to
be a metal-metal bonded, ethane-shaped singlet. The structures indicated fo
r these molecules are very different from those previously derived from gas
electron diffraction data. Investigation by mass spectrometry indicates, h
owever, that the composition of the vapours is much more complex and quite
different from what was assumed during the structure analysis. The experime
ntal structures are therefore open to question.