Vapor phase tin diiodide: its structure and thermodynamics, a computational study

First-Principle Characterization of Structural, Electronic, and Optical Properties of Tin-Halide Monomers

The growing interest in tin-halide semiconductors for photovoltaic applications demands in-depth knowledge of the fundamental properties of their constituents, starting from the smallest monomers entering the initial stages of formation. In this first-principles work based on time-dependent density-functional theory, we investigate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of tin-halide molecules SnXn 2-n, withn = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ${n = 1,2,3,4}$ and X=Cl, Br, I, simulating these compounds in vacuo as well as in an implicit solvent. We find that structural properties are very sensitive to the halogen species while the charge distribution is also affected by stoichiometry. The ionicity of the Sn-X bond is confirmed by the Bader charge analysis albeit charge displacement plots point to more complex metal-halide coordination. Particular focus is posed on the neutral molecules SnX2, for which electronic and optical properties are discussed in detail. Band gaps and absorption onset decrease with increasing size of the halogen species, and despite general common features, each molecule displays peculiar optical signatures. Our results are elaborated in the context of experimental and theoretical literature, including the more widely studied lead-halide analogs, aiming to contribute with microscopic insight to a better understanding of tin-halide perovskites.

Structural effects in molecular metal halides

Metal halides are a relatively large class of inorganic compounds that participate in many industrial processes, from halogen metallurgy to the production of semiconductors. Because most metal halides are ionic crystals at ambient conditions, the term "molecular metal halides" usually refers to vapor-phase species. These gas-phase molecules have a special place in basic research because they exhibit the widest range of chemical bonding from the purely ionic to mostly covalent bonding through to weakly interacting systems. Although our focus is basic research, knowledge of the structural and thermodynamic properties of gas-phase metal halides is also important in industrial processes. In this Account, we review our most recent work on metal halide molecular structures. Our studies are based on electron diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy, and increasingly, we have augmented our experimental work with quantum chemical computations. Using both experimental and computational techniques has enabled us to determine intriguing structural effects with better accuracy than using either technique alone. We loosely group our discussion based on structural effects including "floppiness", relativistic effects, vibronic interactions, and finally, undiscovered molecules with computational thermodynamic stability. Floppiness, or serious "nonrigidity", is a typical characteristic of metal halides and makes their study challenging for both experimentalists and theoreticians. Relativistic effects are mostly responsible for the unique structure of gold and mercury halides. These molecules have shorter-than-expected bonds and often have unusual geometrical configurations. The gold monohalide and mercury dihalide dimers and the molecular-type crystal structure of HgCl(2) are examples. We also examined spin-orbit coupling and the possible effect of the 4f electrons on the structure of lanthanide trihalides. Unexpectedly, we found that the geometry of their dimers depends on the f electron configuration. Metal halides are unique in exhibiting strong vibronic interactions such as the Jahn-Teller effect and the related Renner-Teller effect. Some metal trihalide molecules have an almost T-shape due to static Jahn-Teller distortions. The nonlinear structure with a 150 degree bond angle of the chromium dichloride molecule demonstrates the Renner-Teller effect. Finally, we present a few examples of unknown structures that appear to be thermodynamically stable, including gold and silver triiodides and all silver subhalides. The combination of experimental and computational techniques has brought new insights to the structural chemistry of metal halides. We expect that the continuing progress in computational chemistry will shed further light on the intricate details of these and other molecular structures.