No abstract

Searching for novel compounds of the noble gases still remains a fascinating experimental and theoretical challenge. The trifluorogermylxenon cation F3Ge−Xe+, a stable xenon−germanium molecular species, is obtained in the gas phase by the nucleophilic displacement of HF from protonated GeF4 by Xe. The alternative isomers F2Ge−Xe−F+ and FGe−F−Xe-F+, theoretically less stable than F3Ge−Xe+ by ca. 80−90 kcal mol−1, are not attainable under the employed ion trap mass spectrometric conditions. The observation of F3Ge−Xe+ enlarges the evidence concerning the conceivable binding partners of xenon.

Hydrogenated nonstoichiometric germanium materials have been produced by x-ray-activated chemical vapour deposition from germane, GeH4. The optical gap, Tauc slope and Urbach energy have been obtained from UV–Vis spectra and correlated with structural parameters, considered as a measure of short and intermediate order, calculated by Raman spectra.The results show that the structural disorder increases with the irradiation time. Investigation of the hydrogen local bonding configuration demonstrates a correlation between the variation of the relative abundances of GeH, GeH2 and GeH3 groups and both structural parameters and Eopt value. Moreover, evidence of the crucial role played by the increase in the GeH3 group abundance in the determination of the Eopt value was revealed.

Amorphous germanium carbides have been prepared by X-ray activated chemical vapor deposition from germane/ethyne systems. The materials composition is found to change depending on the ethyne percentage in the irradiated mixture. The bonding and the structure of the compounds so obtained were investigated by infrared spectroscopy and the optical gap values have been determined from UV-vis spectra. The variation of optical gap values as a function of carbon content is discussed.