A comparison of structure and stability between the group 11 halide tetramers M4X4 (M = Cu, Ag, or Au; X = F, Cl, Br, or I) and the group 11 chloride and bromide phosphanes (XMPH3)4.
The tetramers of the group 11 (I) halides, M(4)X(4) (M = Cu, Ag, or Au; X = F, Cl, Br, or I), and corresponding group 11 (I) phosphanes, chloride and bromide (XMPH(3))(4) (X = Cl or Br), are investigated by the density functional theory. All coinage metal(I) halide tetramers adopt squarelike ring structures with an out-of-plane distorted (butterfly) D(2d) symmetry. These structures are much lower in energy than the more compact cubelike T(d) arrangements, which maximize dipole-dipole interactions and more closely resemble the solid-state structures of the copper and silver halides. Phosphine coordination completely changes the structures of these M(4)X(4) clusters. The copper(I) and silver(I) phosphane chloride and bromide tetramers adopt a heterocubane structure, slightly preferred over a step (ladder-type)-cluster structure well-known in the coordination chemistry of such compounds. In stark contrast, gold(I) phosphane chloride and bromide tetramers prefer assemblies of linear XAuPH(3) units with direct gold-gold contacts, resulting in a square planar, centered trigonal planar, or tetrahedral gold core.
Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University (Albany Campus), Private Bag 102904, North Shore MSC, Auckland, New Zealand. p.a.schwerdtfeger@massey.ac.nz
Peter
P
Schwerdtfeger
Robert P
RP
Krawczyk
Anton
A
Hammerl
Reuben
R
Brown