Infrared Spectra and Theoretical Calculations of BSe2 and BSe2-: The Pseudo-Jahn-Teller Effect.

Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy has been employed to study the reaction of laser-ablated boron atoms with hydrogen selenide in a 5 K solid argon matrix. On the basis of the isotopic shifts as well as the theoretical frequency calculations, triatomic molecule BSe2 and its anion BSe2- were identified. Both BSe2 and BSe2- were predicted to have D∞h symmetric structures with nearly identical structure parameters and bond strengths by quantum chemical calculations. Whereas the observed antisymmetric B-Se stretching frequency of BSe2 is much lower than that of BSe2-, the anomalously low antisymmetric B-Se stretching frequency of BSe2 is attributed to a pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect due to the mixing of the X2Πg ground state with the A2Πu excited state. In addition, H2BSe, HBSe, and HSeBSe molecules were produced in the reaction.