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Chirality and Relativistic Effects in Os3(CO)12
Maxim R Ryzhikov1, Irina V Mirzaeva1, Svetlana G Kozlova1
1Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.
Osmium carbonyl complexes exhibit chirality in their ground states, with twisted structures enabling transitions between left and right forms. Relativistic effects and parity violation play a role in this complex molecular behavior.
Area of Science:
- Computational Chemistry
- Quantum Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
Background:
- Osmium carbonyl clusters are important in organometallic chemistry.
- Understanding their structural and electronic properties is key to their reactivity.
- Relativistic effects and parity violation are increasingly recognized in heavy element chemistry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the energy and structural parameters of Os3(CO)12.
- To investigate the influence of relativistic effects and parity violation.
- To elucidate the ground state symmetry and chiral properties of the cluster.
Main Methods:
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.
- Inclusion of various levels of relativistic effects.
- Analysis of energy barriers and parity violation energy differences.
Main Results:
- The ground state of Os3(CO)12 possesses D3 symmetry, existing as left-twisted (D3S) or right-twisted (D3R) forms.
- Transitions between D3S and D3R states occur via a D3h transition state with a low activation barrier (~10^-14 kJ/mol).
- A small parity violation energy difference (~5 × 10^-10 kJ/mol) was calculated; an unusual three-center exchange interaction was identified within the {Os3} fragment, suppressing cluster chirality.
Conclusions:
- Osmium carbonyl clusters can exhibit stable chiral forms.
- Relativistic effects and parity violation contribute to the observed molecular properties.
- The interplay between osmium atoms influences and suppresses electron system chirality.
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