d Orbitals in the noble-gas dihalides

Abstract

Model calculations are reported for ArF2, KrF2, XeF2, ArCl2, KrCl2, and XeCl2. The approach is to compare the energies of a number of valence-bond structures for each molecule. The calculations use Slater-type radial functions and simplify the electron repulsion integrals with the Mulliken approximation. Energies are optimized by varying the d orbital exponent and a parameter which governs the ionic character of the covalent bonds. For all the molecules it is found that the structures such as (X—M+X− + X−M+—X) and X−M2+X−, which maintain the octet rule and exclude the use of d orbitals, are less stable than the structure X—M—X which implies localized electron-pair bonds based on pd hybrids at the noble-gas atom M.Approximate molecular wave functions are obtained from a configuration interaction calculation, and the general conclusion is that the valence-bond structures incorporating d orbitals become more important as the atomic number of the central atom increases. A preliminary study of the role of the [Formula: see text] orbital is also presented, but it seems this orbital contributes mainly as a polarization effect.