Bis(pentafluorophenylxenonium) tetrafluoroterephthalate, p-C6F5XeO(O)CC6F4C(O)OXeC6F5, a hypervalent compound with two xenon–carbon bonds

Bis(pentafluorophenylxenonium) tetrafluoroterephthalate (1) was obtained by metathesis reactions of pentafluorophenylxenonium and tetrafluoroterephthalate salts. The availability of suitable solvents for the metatheses hampered the optimization of the reaction. The new xenon–carbon compound with two polar Xe–O bonds was characterized by NMR spectroscopy in solution and by Raman spectroscopy in the solid state. From (CF3)2CHOH/MeCN solutions single crystals were obtained with four alcohol molecules attached to 1 by hydrogen bridges. The thermal properties of the intrinsically unstable title compound are reported.

Electrophilic pentafluorophenylxenonium and nucleophilic tetrafluoroterephthalate ions combine to form the hypervalent molecule p-C6F5XeO(O)CC6F4C(O)OXeC6F5 (1). Crystals obtained from a (CF3)2CHOH/MeCN solution contain four alcohol molecules attached to the carboxylate groups of 1 via hydrogen bridges.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide