The rotational spectrum and structure for the argon-cyclopentadienyl thallium van der Waals complex: experimental and computational studies of noncovalent bonding in an organometallic pi-complex.

The rotational spectrum of a noble gas-organometallic complex was measured using a pulse molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Rotational transitions for the neutral argon-cyclopentadienyl thallium weakly bound complex were measured in the 4-9 GHz range. Analysis of the spectrum showed that the complex is a prolate symmetric-top rotor with C(5V) symmetry. The experimentally determined molecular parameters for Ar-C(5)H(5) (205)Tl are B=372.4479(3) MHz, D(J)=0.123(2) kHz, and D(JK)=0.45(2) kHz. For Ar-C(5)H(5) (203)Tl, B=373.3478(5) MHz, D(J)=0.113(3) kHz, and D(JK)=0.37(3) kHz. Using a pseudodiatomic model with Lennard-Jones potential yields an approximate binding energy of 339 cm(-1). The argon atom is located on the a-axis of the C(5)H(5)Tl monomer, directly opposite from the thallium metal atom. The measured separation distance between argon and the cyclopentadienyl ring is R=3.56 A. The overall size of the cluster is about 6 A, measuring from argon to thallium. Relatively small D(J) and D(JK) centrifugal distortion constants were observed for the complex, indicating that the structure of Ar-C(5)H(5)Tl is somewhat rigid. MP2 calculations were used to investigate the possible structures and binding energies of the argon-cyclopentadienyl thallium complex. Calculated, counterpoise corrected binding energies are evaluated at R=3.56 A for Ar-C(5)H(5)Tl range from 334 to 418 cm(-1). The experimental binding energy epsilon=339 cm(-1) for Ar-C(5)H(5)Tl falls within this range. The higher-level MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ-PP (thallium)/aug-cc-pVTZ(Ar, C, H) calculation with variable R yielded R(e)=3.46 A and binding energy of 535 cm(-1). Our estimated binding energy for argon-cyclopentadienyl thallium is very similar to the binding energy of argon-benzene. Calculations for the new van der Waals complexes, Ar(C(5)H(5)Tl)(2) and (C(5)H(5)Tl)(2), have been obtained, providing further information on the structures and bonding properties of previously observed cyclopentadienyl thallium polymer chains. The calculated intermolecular distance R(Tl-Cp)=3.05 A for the (CpTl)(2) chain subunit (Cp is cyclopentadienyl, C(5)H(5)) is slightly longer than the measured x-ray value R(M-Cp)(M=Tl)=2.75 A. The x-ray distance R(Tl-Tl)=5.5 A for the chain structure is almost identical to the calculated R(Tl-Tl)=5.51 A for the (C(5)H(5)Tl)(2) dimer.