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The molecular structure of axial and equatorial conformers of 1-trifluoromethyl-1-silacyclohexane, (C5H10SiHCF3), as well as the thermodynamic equilibrium between these species was investigated by means of gas electron diffraction (GED), dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance (DNMR) spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations (B3LYP, MP2, and CBS-QB3). According to GED, the compound exists as a mixture of two Cs symmetry conformers possessing the chair conformation of the six-membered ring and differing in the axial or equatorial position of the CF3 group (axial=58(12) mol%/equatorial=42(12) mol%) at T=293 K. This result is in a good agreement with the theoretical prediction. This is, however, in sharp contrast to the conformational properties of the cyclohexane analogue. The main structural feature for both conformers is the unusually long exocyclic bond length Si--C 1.934(10) A. A low-temperature 19F NMR experiment results in an axial/equatorial ratio of 17(2) mol%:83(2) mol% at 113 K and a DeltaG (not equal) of 5.5(2) kcal mol-1. CBS-QB3 calculations in the gas-phase and solvation effect calculations using the PCM(B3LYP/6-311G*) and IPCM(B3LYP/6-311G*) models were applied to estimate the axial/equatorial ratio in the 100-300 K temperature range, which showed excellent agreement with the experimental results. The minimum energy pathways for the chair-to-chair inversion of trifluoromethylsilacyclohexane and methylsilacyclohexane were also calculated using the STQN(Path) method.

The structures of molecular tellurium tetrafluoride and tellurium tetrachloride were determined by a combination of gas-phase electron diffraction, mass spectrometry and quantum chemical calculations. The combined GED/MS experiments showed no evidence of decomposition of TeF(4) and TeCl(4). No ions of oligomeric (dimeric, trimeric, etc.) or any other composition were found in the mass spectra. The monomeric molecules possess a pseudo trigonal bipyramidal structure (C(2v) symmetry) with the equatorial Te-X distances being shorter than the axial ones. The fluorine atoms are bent away from the lone pair resulting in X(eq)-Te-X(eq) and X(eq)-Te-X(ax) bond angles smaller than 120 and 90 degrees, respectively. The structure of solvates TeF(4) (THF)(2), TeF(4) (dioxane) TeF(4) (DME)(2), TeF(4)(Et(2)O) TeF(4)(toluene), TeCl(4)(CH(3)CN)(2), TeCl(4)(DME)(2) and TeCl(4)(dioxane) were determined by X-ray diffraction. The structures of tellurium tetrafluoride solvates are strongly influenced by the choice of the solvent molecules. Monomeric TeF(4) units were obtained with THF, DME and dioxane whereas fluoride bridged coordination polymers were formed using diethyl ether or toluene. All tellurium tetrachloride solvates studied contain monomeric TeCl(4) units with coordinated solvent molecules. Coordination numbers range from four in the gas phase to eight in the TeF(4) dimethoxyethane solvate. Geometric parameters of the TeX(4) molecules in the crystal, solvates and gas phase were compared. DFT, MP2, CCSD, CCSD(T) methods were applied for calculation of geometric and vibrational characteristics of free TeX(4) molecules (X = F, Cl). The pseudorotation barriers were estimated and an NBO analysis was performed. It was shown that both, GED and theoretical, quantitative results are in agreement with the qualitative results of the VSEPR model.

The molecular structure and conformational properties of para-methylbenzene sulfonamide (4-MBSA) and ortho-methylbenzene sulfonamide (2-MBSA) have been studied by gas electron diffraction (GED) and quantum chemical methods (B3LYP/6-311+G** and MP2/6-31G**). Quantum chemical calculations predict the existence of two conformers for 4-MBSA with the S-N bond perpendicular to the benzene plane and the NH2 group either eclipsing or staggering the S-O bonds of the SO2 group. Both conformers possess CS symmetry. The eclipsed form is predicted to be favored by DeltaE = 0.63 kcal/mol (B3LYP) or 1.00 kcal/mol (MP2). According to the calculations, the S-N bond in 2-MBSA can possess planar direction opposite the methyl group (phi(C2C1SN) = 180 degrees ) or nonplanar direction (phi(C2C1SN) approximately 60 degrees ). In both cases, the NH2 group can adopt eclipsed or staggered orientation, resulting in a total of four stable conformers. The nonplanar eclipsed conformer (C1 symmetry) and the planar eclipsed form (CS symmetry) are predicted to be favored. According to the GED analysis, the saturated vapor over solid 4-MBSA at T = 151(3) degrees C consists as mixture of the eclipsed (78(19) %) and staggered (22(19) %) forms. The saturated vapor over solid 2-MBSA at T = 157(3) degrees C consists as a mixture of the nonplanar eclipsed (69(11) %) and planar eclipsed (31(11) %) forms.

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