A hypervalent and cubically coordinated molecular phase of IF8 predicted at high pressure
Journal article, 2019

Up to now, the maximum coordination number of iodine is seven in neutral iodine heptafluoride (IF 7 ) and eight in anionic octafluoride (IF 8− ). Here, we explore pressure as a method for realizing new hypercoordinated iodine compounds. First-principles swarm structure calculations have been used to predict the high-pressure and T → 0 K phase diagram of binary iodine fluorides. The investigated compounds are predicted to undergo complex structural phase transitions under high pressure, accompanied by various semiconductor to metal transitions. The pressure induced formation of a neutral octafluoride compound, IF 8 , consisting of eight-coordinated iodine is one of several unprecedented predicted structures. In sharp contrast to the square antiprismatic structure in IF 8− , IF 8 , which is dynamically unstable under atmospheric conditions, is stable and adopts a quasi-cube molecular configuration with R3& symmetry at 300 GPa. The metallicity of IF 8 originates from a hole in the fluorine 2p-bands that dominate the Fermi surface. The highly unusual coordination sphere in IF 8 at 300 GPa is a consequence of the 5d levels of iodine coming down and becoming part of the valence, where they mix with iodine's 5s and 5p levels and engage in chemical bonding. The valence expansion of iodine under pressure effectively makes IF 8 not only hypercoordinated, but also hypervalent.

Author

Dongbao Luo

Jilin University

Jian Lv

Jilin University

Feng Peng

Luoyang Normal University

Yanchao Wang

Jilin University

Guochun Yang

Northeast Normal University

Martin Rahm

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Yanming Ma

Jilin University

Chemical Science

2041-6520 (ISSN) 2041-6539 (eISSN)

Vol. 10 8 2543-2550

Subject Categories

Inorganic Chemistry

Theoretical Chemistry

Condensed Matter Physics

DOI

10.1039/c8sc04635b

More information

Latest update

7/19/2019