Laser-ablated U atoms react with CO in excess argon to produce CUO, which gives rise to 852.5 and 804.3 cm-1 infrared absorptions for the triplet molecule CUO(Ar)n (n > 1) complex in solid argon at 7 K. Relativistic density functional calculations suggest that the binding energy is maximized when five argon atoms can complex to CUO. When 1-3% Xe is added to the Ar/CO mixture, strong absorptions appear at 848.0 and 801.3 cm-1 and dominate new four-band progressions, which increase on annealing to 35-50 K as Xe replaces Ar in the intimate coordination sphere. Analogous results are found for Kr in argon. This work provides evidence for distinct CUO(Ar)4-n(Ng)n (Ng = Kr, Xe; n = 1, 2, 3, 4) complexes and the first examples of neutral complexes that have four noble gas atoms bonded to one metal center.
Revised: March 2, 2004 |
Published: July 12, 2002
Citation
Liang B., L. Andrews, J. Li, and B.E. Bursten. 2002.Noble Gas-Actinide Compounds: Evidence for the Formation of Distinct CUO(Ar)4-n(Xe)n and CUO(Ar)4-n(Kr)n (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) Complexes.Journal of the American Chemical Society 124, no. 31:9016.PNNL-SA-36384.