title: Tetrameric fluorophosphazene, (NPF(2))(4), planar or puckered?
abstract: The results obtained in a comprehensive experimental study on the redetermination of the structure of N(4)P(4)F(8) with single-crystal X-ray diffraction, gas electron diffraction (GED), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) establish clearly that, in contrast to the previous report, the eight-membered heterocycle is not planar. Above the phase transition temperature of -74 degrees C, the ring appears pseudoplanar. However, the N(4)P(4) ring is disordered and is puckered above the phase transition when the disorder is modeled correctly. Below the phase transition the ring clearly resembles that of the saddle (K form) of N(4)P(4)Cl(8). The unit cell of the low-temperature phase is derived from that of the higher temperature phase by doubling the c-axis and removing one-half of the symmetry elements. Full structure optimizations were performed at the HF/6-31G and B3LYP/6-31G levels and fully support the experimental diffraction data.
authors.affiliation: Contribution from the Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844-2343, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Twamley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oberhammer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henkel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lork
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mews
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shreeve