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Title: Analysis of the bonding in tetrahedrane and phosphorus-substituted tetrahedranes

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cp03619g· OSTI ID:2008101
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States)
  2. Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States); Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia)

The bonding structures of tetrahedrane, phosphatetrahedrane, diphosphatetrahedrane and triphosphatetrahedrane are studied by employing an intrinsic quasi-atomic orbital analysis. Ethane, cyclopropane and tetrahedral P4 are employed as reference systems. The orbital analysis is paired with the computation of strain energies via isodesmic reactions. The results show that the increase in geometric strain upon transition from ethane to cyclopropane to tetrahedrane weakens the CC bonds, despite leading to shorter C–C interatomic distances. With the increase in strain, the orbitals centered on C and involved in the bonding of the cage structure are observed to have elevated p-character, and the orbital structure of C deviates from sp3 hybridization. The systematic substitution of CH groups by P atoms in the cage structure of tetrahedrane leads to stronger CC bonds, larger angles in the cage structures of the resulting phosphatetrahedranes, lower p-character in the orbitals involved in the bonding of the cages, and lower strain energies. It is found that P is more amenable to strained molecular arrangements than is C, and that the propensity of a given atom to hybridize s and p functions, or the lack thereof, has implications in the stability of molecules with strained geometries. The combination of the calculations presented here with the existing literature provides insight into the apparent propensity of tetrahedrane and P4 to ‘break’ their tetrahedral structures. Trends in the bonding interactions, such as bond strengths, s- and p-orbital characters and charge transfer are identified and related to the strain energy observed in each of the analyzed systems.

Research Organization:
Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11358
OSTI ID:
2008101
Report Number(s):
IS-J-11,161
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Vol. 25, Issue 40; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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