Third Row Transition Metal Hexafluorides, Extraordinary Oxidizers, and Lewis Acids: Electron Affinities, Fluoride Affinities, and Heats of Formation of WF₆, ReF₆, OsF₆, IrF₆, PtF₆, and AuF₆

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Inorganic Chemistry, 49(3):1056-1070

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ic901967h· OSTI ID:1001463

Craciun, Raluca; Picone, Desiree; Long, Rebecca T; Li, Shenggang; Dixon, David A; Peterson, Kirk A; Christe, Karl O

High level electronic structure calculations were used to evaluate reliable, self-consistent thermochemical data sets for the third row transitionmetal hexafluorides. The electron affinities, heats of formation, first (MF₆ → MF₅ + F) and average M-F bond dissociation energies, and fluoride affinities of MF₆ (MF₆ + F⁻→ MF₇ ⁻) and MF₅ (MF₅ + F⁻→ MF₆ ⁻) were calculated. The electron affinities which are a direct measure for the oxidizer strength increase monotonically from WF₆ to AuF₆, with PtF₆ and AuF₆ being extremely powerful oxidizers. The inclusion of spin orbit corrections is necessary to obtain the correct qualitative order for the electron affinities. The calculated electron affinities increase with increasing atomic number, are in good agreement with the available experimental values, and are as follows: WF₆ (3.15 eV), ReF₆ (4.58 eV), OsF₆ (5.92 eV), IrF₆ (5.99 eV), PtF₆ (7.09 eV), and AuF₆ (8.20 eV). A wide range of density functional theory exchange-correlation functionals were also evaluated, and only three gave satisfactory results. The corresponding pentafluorides are extremely strong Lewis acids, with OsF₅, IrF₅, PtF₅, and AuF₅ significantly exceeding the acidity of SbF₅. The optimized geometries of the corresponding MF₇⁻ anions for W through Ir are classical MF₇⁻ anions with M-F bonds; however, for PtF₇⁻ and AuF₇⁻ non-classical anions were found with a very weak external F-F bond between an MF₆⁻ fragment and a fluorine atom. These two anions are text book examples for “superhalogens” and can serve as F atom sources under very mild conditions, explaining the ability of PtF₆ to convert NF₃ to NF₄⁺, ClF₅ to ClF₆⁺, and Xe to XeF⁺ and why Bartlett failed to observe XePtF₆ as the reaction product of the PtF₆/Xe reaction.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1001463
• Journal Information: Inorganic Chemistry, 49(3):1056-1070, Journal Name: Inorganic Chemistry, 49(3):1056-1070 Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 49; ISSN 0020-1669; ISSN INOCAJ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ANIONS
ATOMIC NUMBER
ATOMS
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELECTRONS
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE
FUNCTIONALS
LEWIS ACIDS
OXIDIZERS
PH VALUE
SPIN
TRANSITION ELEMENTS