Determining Relative f and d Orbital Contributions to M–Cl Covalency in MCl ₆ ^2– (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, U) and UOCl ₅ ^– Using Cl K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory

Journal Article · Wed Mar 28 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of the American Chemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja2105015· OSTI ID:1039837

Minasian, Stefan G.; Keith, Jason M.; Batista, Enrique R.; Boland, Kevin S.; Clark, David L.; Conradson, Steven D.; Kozimor, Stosh A.; Martin, Richard L.; Schwarz, Daniel E.; Shuh, David K.; Wagner, Gregory L.; Wilkerson, Marianne P.; Wolfsberg, Laura E.; Yang, Ping

Chlorine K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and ground-state and time-dependent hybrid density functional theory (DFT) were used to probe electronic structure for O{sub h}-MCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}(M = Ti, Zr, Hf, U) and C{sub 4v}-UOCl{sub 5}{sup -}, and to determine the relative contributions of valence 3d, 4d, 5d, 6d, and 5f orbitals in M-Cl bonding. Spectral interpretations were guided by time-dependent DFT calculated transition energies and oscillator strengths, which agree well with the experimental XAS spectra. The data provide new spectroscopic evidence for the involvement of both 5f and 6d orbitals in actinide-ligand bonding in UCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}. For the MCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}, where transitions into d orbitals of t{sub 2g} symmetry are spectroscopically resolved for all four complexes, the experimentally determined Cl 3p character per M-Cl bond increases from 8.3(4)% (TiCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}) to 10.3(5)% (ZrCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}), 12(1)% (HfCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}), and 26 18(1)% (UCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}). Chlorine K-edge XAS spectra of UOCl{sub 5}{sup -} provide additional insights into the transition assignments by 27 lowering the symmetry to C{sub 4v}, where five pre-edge transitions into both 5f and 6d orbitals are observed. For UCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}, the XAS data 28 suggest that orbital mixing associated with the U 5f orbitals is considerably lower than that of the U 6d orbitals. For both UCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}29 and UOCl{sub 5}{sup -}, the ground-state DFT calculations predict a larger 5f contribution to bonding than is determined experimentally. 30 These findings are discussed in the context of conventional theories of covalent bonding for d- and f-block metal complexes.

• 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: 1039837
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-86363; 40074; KP1504010
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 134; ISSN 0002-7863
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BONDING
CHLORINE
COVALENCE
Covalency
f-orbitals
spectra
M-Cl bond
time-dependent density functional theory
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
FUNCTIONALS
OSCILLATOR STRENGTHS
PROBES
SPECTRA
SYMMETRY
VALENCE