Chemical Reactivity Perspective into the Group 2B Metals Halides

Chemical reactivity descriptors within the conceptual density functional theory can be used to understand the nature of the interactions between two monomers of the Group 2B metal halides. This information might be valuable in the development of adequate force law parameters for simulations in the liquid state. In this study, MX2 monomers and dimers, where M = Zn, Cd, Hg and X = F, Cl, Br, I, were investigated in terms of chemical reactivity descriptors. Relativistic effects were taken into account using the effective core potential (ECP) approach. Correlations were produced between global and local reactivity descriptors and dimerization energies. Results presented in this work represent the first systematic investigation of Group 2B metal halides in the literature from a combined point of view of both relativistic effects and chemical reactivity descriptors. Steric effects were found to be responsible for the deviation from the chemical reactivity principles. They were introduced into the chemical reactivity descriptors such as local softness.