Tri- and tetraprotonated ethane (C2H9(3+) and C2H10(4+)) containing five- and six-coordinate carbons.
Triprotonated ethane (C(2)H(9)(3+)) 4 and tetraprotonated ethane (C(2)H(10)(4+)) 6 were found by ab initio MP2/cc-pVTZ calculations as viable energy minima. Their structure has three and four two-electron three-center (2e-3c) bonds, respectively. In contrast, calculations showed no minimum-energy structure on the potential energy surface of pentaprotonated ethane (C(2)H(11)(5+)). Charge-charge repulsion may approach its limit in this case. Sufficient stabilization of polycations by Schmidbaur-type auration with (C(6)H(5))(3)PAu, an isolobal analogue of H(+), should be possible for the preparation of the polyaurate derivatives of poly protonated ethane allowing their structural study.
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089-1661, USA.
Golam
G
Rasul
G K Surya
GK
Prakash
George A
GA
Olah