The syntheses of XeOF2, F2OXeNCCH3, and XeOF2.nHF and their structural characterizations are described in this study. All three compounds are explosive at temperatures approaching 0 degrees C. Although XeOF2 had been previously reported, it had not been isolated as a pure compound. Xenon oxide difluoride has now been characterized in CH3CN solution by 19F, 17O, and 129Xe NMR spectroscopy. The solid-state Raman spectra of XeOF2, F2OXeNCCH3, and XeOF2.nHF have been assigned with the aid of 16O/18O and 1H/2H enrichment studies and electronic structure calculations. In the solid state, the structure of XeOF2 is a weakly associated, planar monomer, ruling out previous speculation that it may possess a polymeric chain structure. The geometry of XeOF2 is consistent with a trigonal bipyramidal, AX2YE2, VSEPR arrangement that gives rise to a T-shaped geometry in which the two free valence electron lone pairs and Xe-O bond domain occupy the trigonal plane and the Xe-F bond domains are trans to one another and perpendicular to the trigonal plane. Quantum mechanical calculations and the Raman spectra of XeOF2.nHF indicate that the structure likely contains a single HF molecule that is H-bonded to oxygen and also weakly F-coordinated to xenon. The low-temperature (-173 degrees C) X-ray crystal structure of F2OXeNCCH3 reveals a long Xe-N bond trans to the Xe-O bond and a geometrical arrangement about xenon in which the atoms directly bonded to xenon are coplanar and CH3CN acts as a fourth ligand in the equatorial plane. The two fluorine atoms are displaced away from the oxygen atom toward the Xe-N bond. The structure contains two sets of crystallographically distinct F2OXeNCCH3 molecules in which the bent Xe-N-C moiety lies either in or out of the XeOF2 plane. The geometry about xenon is consistent with an AX2YZE2 VSEPR arrangement of bond pairs and electron lone pairs and represents a rare example of a Xe(IV)-N bond.

The synthesis of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2), its structural characterization, and bonding are described in this study. Although several KrF(2) adducts with transition metal centers have been previously reported, none have been crystallographically characterized. The solid-state Raman spectrum of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2) has been assigned with the aid of quantum-chemical calculations. The low-temperature (-173 degrees C) X-ray crystal structure of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2) consists of isolated molecular units and represents an example of KrF(2) coordinated to a main-group atom. The coordination geometry around the BrOF(2)(+) cation renders the free valence electron lone pair more compact than in free BrOF(2)(+). The KrF(2) ligands are coordinated trans to the fluorine atoms of BrOF(2)(+) with the AsF(6)(-) anion coordinated trans to oxygen. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and electron localization function (ELF) analyses have been carried out in order to define the nature of the bonding in the complex. A significant amount of charge (0.25 e) is transferred to BrOF(2)(+) from the two KrF(2) ligands (0.10 e each) and from the AsF(6)(-) anion (0.05 e). Significant polarization also occurs within the KrF(2) ligands, which enhances the anionic characters of the fluorine bridges. The interaction energy is mostly governed by the electrostatic interaction of the positively charged bromine atom with the surrounding fluorine atoms.