Bonded Paths and van der Waals Interactions in Orpiment, As2S3
Bond critical properties and bond paths have been calculated for the thioarsenide molecular crystal orpiment, As2S3. In addition to the intramolecular As-S bond paths and van der Waals As-S and S-S bond paths within the layers, intermolecular S-S, As-S and As-As van der Waals paths exist between the layers. The S-S bond paths between the layers are identified with the main interlayer restoring forces responsible for the vibrational internal-mode splitting and the low frequency rigid layer modes previously documented in infrared and Raman studies of orpiment. These S-S bond paths are comparable with those calculated for orthorhombic native sulfur and the As4Sn (n = 3,4,5) molecules for several arsenide molecular crystals. The As-S bond paths show that the two nonequivalent arsenic atoms are each coordinated by a highly distorted octahedral array of sulfur atoms. The octahedra consist of three As-S intramolecular bonded interactions and three longer van der Waals interactions (two intramolecular and one intermolecular). One of the arsenic atoms is also coordinated by an arsenic atom in an interlayer As-As bonded interaction. Laplacian isosurface envelopes calculated for the arsenic and sulfur atoms are comparable with those calculated for native arsenic and orthorhombic sulfur. The intermolecular As-S bond paths connect Lewis acid domains on arsenic and an Lewis base domains on sulfur. Van der Waals interactions are traditionally defined as attractive interactions other than those ascribed to bond formation. However, theoretical evidence and arguments, as well as the connection between the bond paths and the vibrational spectra, indicate that the van der Waals interactions in orpiment are directed bonded interactions in the Slater sense. The experimental bond lengths for the As-S and S-S bonded interactions decrease nonlinearly with the increasing value of the electron density at the bond critical point, concomitant with a decrease in the bonded radii of arsenic and sulfur. On the basis of the local energy density, the intramolecular As-S bonded interactions classify as shared interactions and the intramolecular and intermolecular As-S and S-S bonded interactions and the intermolecular As-As van der Waals interactions classify as closed-shell interactions. The so called planar lone electron pair micelle picture for orpiment is spanned by bond paths, substantiating the claim that the layers in the orpiment structure are linked by weak van der Waals bonded interactions.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 982552
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-70963; ISSN 1520-5215; 25629; KC0303020; TRN: US201014%%376
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 114(23):6550-6557, Vol. 114, Issue 23; ISSN 1089-5639
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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