Tripodal Podand Ligand with a Superhalogen Nature as an Effective Molecular Trap

Tris(2-methoxyethyl) fluoroborate anion (TMEFA), anovel tripodal ligand based on the BF4− superhalogen anion, is proposed and was investigated theoretically using ab initio MP2 (second-order Møller-Plesset perturbational method) and OVGF (outer valence Green function) methods. The studied molecule comprises three 2-methoxyethoxy groups (-O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3) connected to a central boron atom, which results in the C3-symmetry of the compound. The resulting anion was stable against fragmentation processes and its vertical electron detachment energy was found to be 5.72 eV. Due to its equilibrium structure resembling that of classical tripodal podands, the [F-B(O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3)3]− anion is capable of binding metal cations using its three arms, and thus may form strongly bound ionic complexes such as [F-B(O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3)3]−/Li+ and [F-B(O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3)3]−/Mg2+. The binding energies predicted for such compounds far exceed those of the similar neutral classical podand ligands, which likely makes the [F-B(O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3)3]− system a more effective molecular trap or steric shielding agent with respect to selected metal cations.

Electronic structure and chemical bond nature in Cs2NpO2Cl4

On the basis of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data and results of theoretical calculations for the NpO2Cl4 (D4h) cluster, the electronic structure and the chemical bond nature in , was done in the binding Cs2NpO2Cl4 single crystal, containing the neptunyl group NpO2 energy range of 0 eV to ~35 eV. The filled Np 5f electronic states were established to form in the valence band of Cs2NpO2Cl4. This was attributed to the direct participation of the Np 5f electrons in the chemical bonding. The Np 6p electrons were shown to participate in formation of both the inner valence band (~15 eV-~35 eV) and the outer valence band (0 eV-~15 eV). The filled Np 6p and the O 2s, Cl 3s electronic shells were found to make the largest contribution to the formation of the inner valence molecular orbitals. The molecular orbitals composition and the sequence order in the binding energy range 0 eV-~35 eV in Cs2NpO2Cl4, were established. For the first time the quantitative scheme of molecular orbitals for the NpO2Cl4 cluster in the binding energy range 0 eV-~35 eV, was built. This scheme reflects neptunium close environment in the studied compound and is fundamental for both understanding the chemical bond nature in Cs2NpO2Cl4 and the interpretation of other X-ray spectra of Cs2NpO2Cl4. The contributions to the chemical binding for the NpO2Cl4 cluster were evaluated to be: the outer valence molecular orbitals contribution - 73 %, and the inner valence molecular orbitals contribution - 27 %.