PNNL

Abstract

We report the first photoelectron spectroscopic study of Zeise’s anion, [PtCl3(C2H4)], and its Br- and I- analogs in the gas phase. Well-resolved and rich spectral features are obtained for each species, yielding detailed electronic structure information, which is assigned with the aid of highlevel electronic structure calculations at the Coupled Cluster (CC) level of theory. The electron binding energies of [PtX3(C2H4)] are found to decrease with the size of halogen (4.57, 4.51, and 4.18 eV for X = Cl, Br, and I, respectively). The calculations indicate a synergistic ?2 interaction [with interaction strengths of 1.54 (Cl), 1.37 (Br) and 1.10 eV (I)] between the perpendicular C2H4 fragment and the nearly horizontal planar PtX3- anions, resulting in activating the ethylene molecule. The detailed insights of the chemical bonding and underlying electronic structure can be used to benchmark interactions between olefins and transition metal complexes, which are crucial to a wide range of catalytic processes.