Structure and bonding in stannadiphospholes and their dianions SnC₂P₂R^m₂ (R=H, tBu m=0, -2): A comparative study with C₅H₅⁺ and C₅H₅^- analogues

Abstract

The potential energy surfaces of both neutral and dianionic SnC₂P₂R₂ (R=H, tBu) ring systems have been explored at the B3PW91/LANL2DZ (Sn) and 6-311+G* (other atoms) level. In the neutral isomers the global minimum is a nido structure in which a 1,2-diphosphocyclobutadiene ring (1,2-DPCB) is capped by the Sn. Interestingly, the structure established by X-ray diffraction analysis, for R=tBu, is a 1,3-DPCB ring capped by Sn and it is 2.4 kcal mol^-1 higher in energy than the 1,2-DPCB ring isomer. This is possibly related to the kinetic stability of the 1,3-DPCB ring, which might originate from the synthetic precursor ZrCp₂tBu₂C₂P₂. In the case of the dianionic isomers we observe only a 6π-electron aromatic structure as the global minimum, similarly to the cases of our previously reported results with other types of heterodiphospholes.1,4,19 The existence of large numbers of cluster-type isomers in neutral and 6π-planar structures in the dianions SnC₂P₂R₂^2- (R=H, tBu) is due to 3D aromaticity in neutral clusters and to 2D π aromaticity of the dianionic rings. Relative energies of positional isomers mainly depend on: 1) the valency and coordination number of the Sn centre, 2) individual bond strengths, and 3) the steric effect of tBu groups. A comparison of neutral stannadiphospholes with other structurally related C5H5+ analogues indicates that Sn might be a better isolobal analogue to P⁺ than to BH or CH⁺. The variation in global minima in these C₅H₅⁺ analogues is due to characteristic features such as 1) the different valencies of C, B, P and Sn, 2) the electron deficiency of B, 3) weaker pπ-pπ bonding by P and Sn atoms, and 4) the tendency of electropositive elements to donate electrons to nido clusters. Unlike the C₅H₅⁺ systems, all C₅H₅- analogues have 6π-planar aromatic structures as global minima. The differences in the relative ordering of the positional isomers and ligating properties are significant and depend on 1) the nature of the π orbitals involved, and 2) effective overlap of orbitals.