Quantum Chemical Studies of Neutral and Ionized DyX, DyX2, and DyX3 Species (X = F, Cl, Br, I) and the Implications for the Mass Spectra of Gaseous DyX3

Extending the Row of Lanthanide Tetrafluorides: A Combined Matrix-Isolation and Quantum-Chemical Study

Only the neutral tetrafluorides of Ce, Pr, and Tb as well as the [LnF7 ](3-) anions of Dy and Nd, with the metal in the +IV oxidation state, have been previously reported. We report our attempts to extend the row of neutral lanthanide tetrafluorides through the reaction of laser-ablated metal atoms with fluorine and their stabilization and characterization by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy. In addition to the above three tetrafluorides, we found two new tetrafluorides, (3) NdF4 and (7) DyF4 , both of which are in the +IV oxidation state, which extends this lanthanide oxidation state to two new metals. Our experimental results are supported by quantum-chemical calculations and the role of the lanthanide oxidation state is discussed for both the LnF4 and [LnF4 ](-) species. Most of the LnF4 species are predicted to be in the +IV oxidation state and all of the [LnF4 ](-) anions are predicted to be in the +III oxidation state. The LnF4 species are predicted to be strong oxidizing agents and the LnF3 species are predicted to be moderate to strong Lewis acids.

Electronic spectra of DyF studied by four-component relativistic configuration interaction methods

The electronic states of the DyF molecule below 3.0 eV are studied using 4-component relativistic CI methods. Spinors generated by the average-of-configuration Hartree-Fock method with the Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian were used in CI calculations by the KRCI (Kramers-restricted configuration interaction) program. The CI reference space was generated by distributing 11 electrons among the 11 Kramers pairs composed mainly of Dy [4f], [6s], [6p] atomic spinors, and double excitations are allowed from this space to the virtual molecular spinors. The CI calculations indicate that the ground state has the dominant configuration (4f(9))(6s(2))(Ω = 7.5). Above this ground state, 4 low-lying excited states (Ω = 8.5, 7.5, 7.5, 7.5) are found with dominant configurations (4f(10))(6s). These results are consistent with the experimental studies of McCarthy et al. Above these 5 states, 2 states were observed at T0 = 2.39 eV, 2.52 eV by McCarthy et al. and were named as [19.3]8.5 and [20.3]8.5. McCarthy et al. proposed that both states have dominant configurations (4f(9))(6s)(6p), but these configurations are not consistent with the large Re's (∼3.9 a.u.) estimated from the observed rotational constants. The present CI calculations provide near-degenerate states of (4f(10))(6p3/2,1/2), (4f(10))(6p3/2,3/2), and (4f(9))(6s)(6p3/2,1/2) at around 3 eV. The former two states have larger Re (3.88 a.u.) than the third, so that it is reasonable to assign (4f(10))(6p3/2,1/2) to [19.3]8.5 and (4f(10))(6p3/2,3/2) to [20.3]8.5.

Molecular structure and vibrational spectra of mixed MDyX4 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs; X = F, Cl, Br, I) vapor complexes: a computational and matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopic study

The structures, energetic, and vibrational properties of MDyX(4) (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs; X = F, Cl, Br, I) mixed alkali halide/dysprosium halide complexes have been investigated by a joint computational and experimental, matrix-isolation Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic (MI-IR), study. According to our DFT computations for the complexes with heavier halides and alkali metals the ground-state structure is the tridentate isomer; while at high temperatures the bidentate structural isomer dominates. The survey of various dissociation processes revealed the preference of the dissociation to neutral MX and DyX(3) fragments over ionic and radical dissociation products. Cationic complexes are considerably less stable at 1000 K than the neutral complexes, and they prefer to dissociate to M(+) + DyX(4)(•) fragments. The vapor species of selected mixtures of NaBr and CsBr with DyBr(3) and of CsI with DyI(3) in the temperature range 900-1000 K have been isolated in krypton and xenon matrices and investigated by infrared spectroscopy. Besides the characteristic vibrational frequencies of the monomeric and dimeric alkali halide species and of the dysprosium trihalide molecules, certain signals indicated the formation of MDyX(4) (M = Na, Cs; X = Br, I) mixed complexes. Comparison with the computed vibrational and thermodynamic characteristics of the relevant species lead to the conclusion that these complexes appear in the vapor predominantly as the C(2v)-symmetry bidentate isomer. This is the first time that this structure was identified in an experimental vibrational spectroscopic study. The signals appearing upon performing a thermal anneal cycle were tentatively assigned to the double complex M(2)DyX(5) (M = Na, Cs; X = Br, I). A structure in which one alkali atom is bound to dysprosium by three and the other by two bridges is proposed for these double complexes.

Systematics and anomalies in rare earth/aluminum bromide vapor complexes: thermodynamic properties of the vapor complexes LnAl3Br12 from Ln = Sc to Ln = Lu

Systematics and anomalies in the rare earth/aluminum bromide vapor complexes have been investigated by the phase equilibrium-quenching experiments. The measurements suggest that the LnAl3Br12 complexes are the predominant vapor complexes for the 16 rare earth elements Ln = Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu in the temperature range 601-833 K and pressure range 0.01-0.22 MPa, which is different from the rare earth/aluminum chloride systems, where the predominant vapor complexes are LnAl3Cl12 from Ln = La to Ln = Lu, but LnAl2Cl9 for Ln = Sc and Y are roughly in the same ranges, which indicates the importance of the halogen anion radius on the rare earth vapor complex formation. In the temperature and pressure ranges, gaseous Al2Br6 and AlBr3 are dominant species and the molar fraction of LnAl3Br12 is normally less than 0.01. Thermodynamic functions of the reactions LnBr3(s) + (3/2)Al2Br6(g) = LnAl3Br12(g) were calculated from the measurements for the 16 rare earth elements and then smoothly interpolated for the radioelement Ln = Pm. The standard molar enthalpies and standard molar entropies show significant Gd divergences from LaAl3Br12 to LuAl3Br12 when plotted as functions of the rare earth atomic number. They also suggest nearly linear manner for ScAl3Br12, LuAl3Br12, YAl3Br12, and LaAl3Br12 when plotted as functions of the rare earth ionic radius.

Mass Spectrometric and Quantum Chemical Studies of the Thermodynamics and Bonding of Neutral and Ionized LnCl, LnCl2, and LnCl3 Species (Ln = Ce, Lu)

The mass spectral patterns of CeCl3(g) and LuCl3(g) and appearance energies for the identified ions were measured using a Nier-type mass spectrometer coupled with a Knudsen cell. The molecular ion CeCl3+ was found to be considerably less stable in comparison to LuCl3+. Partial pressures and sublimation enthalpies of LnCl3(s) to monomeric LnCl3(g) and dimeric Ln2Cl6(g) species were obtained in the ranges of 882-1028 (Ln = Ce) and 850-1004 K (Ln = Lu). The contribution of dimeric Ce2Cl6(g) species to equilibrium vapors of CeCl3(s) is considerably smaller than the Lu2Cl6(g) contribution in LuCl3(s) vapors. The measurements were supplemented by quantum chemical ab initio studies of structures, energetics, and vibrational frequencies of neutral and singly ionized LnCl, LnCl2, and LnCl3 species (Ln = Ce, Lu). The theoretical appearance energies of different ions, calculated from the energies of the gaseous species, are in good agreement with experimental data. The fragmentation energies of LnCl, LnCl2, and LnCl3 were also computed and compared with the mass spectral patterns of respective vapor species. The Mulliken and natural bond orbital electron population methods were applied for the systematic analysis of the bonding scheme in molecules and cations.