Relativistic effects in physics and chemistry of element 105. [Part] I.

A detailed study of the electronic structure and bonding of the pentahalides of group 5 elements V, Nb, Ta, and element 105, hahnium (and Pa) has been carried out using relativistic molecular cluster Dirac-Slater discrete-variational method. A number of calculations have been performed for different geometries and molecular bond distances. The character of the bonding has been analyzed using the Mulliken population analysis of the molecular orbitals. It is shown that hahnium is a typical group 5 element. In a great number of properties it continues trends in the group. Some peculiarities in the electronic structure of HaCl_5 result from relativistic effects.

Relativistic effects in physics and chemistry of element 105. [Part] II.

Relativistic self-consistent charge Dirac-Slater discrete variational method calculations have been done for the series of molecules MBr_5, where M = Nb, Ta, Pa, and element 105, Ha. The electronic structure data show that the trends within the group 5 pentabromides resemble those for the corresponding pentaclorides with the latter being more ionic. Estimation of the volatility of group 5 bromides has been done on the basis of the molecular orbital calculations. According to the results of the theoretical interpretation HaBr_5 seems to be more volatile than NbBr_5 and TaBr_5.

Relativistic effects in physics and chemistry of element 105. [Part] III.

Electronic structures of MOCl_3 and MOBr_3 molecules, where M = V, Nb, Ta, Pa, and element 105, hahnium, have been calculated using the relativistic Dirac-Slater discrete variational method. The character of bonding has been analyzed using the Mulliken population analysis of the molecular orbitals. It was shown that hahnium oxytrihalides have similar properties to oxytrihalides of Nb and Ta and that hahnium has the highest tendency to form double bond with oxygen. Some peculiarities in the electronic structure of HaOCl_3 and HaOBr_3 result from relativistic effects. Volatilities of the oxytrihalides in comparison with the corresponding pentahalides were considered using results of the present calculations. Higher ionic character and lower covalency as well as the presence of dipole moments in MOX_3 (X = Cl, Br) molecules compared to analogous MX_5 ones are the factors contributing to their lower volatilities.

Relativistic effects in physics and chemistry of element 105. [Part] IV.

Results of relativistic (Dirac-Slater and Dirac-Fock) and nonrelativistic (Hartree-Fock-Slater) atomic and molecular calculations have been compared for the group 5 elements Nb, Ta, and Ha and their compounds MCl_5, to elucidate the influence of relativistic effects on their properties especially in going from the 5d element Ta to the 6d element Ha. The analysis of the radial distribution of the valence electrons of the metals for electronic configurations obtained as a result of the molecular calculations and their overlap with ligands show opposite trends in behavior for ns_1/2, np_l/2, and (n -1 )d_5/2 orbitals for Ta and Ha in the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases. Relativistic contraction and energetic stabilization of the ns_1/2 and np_l/2 wave functions and expansion and destabilization of the (n-1)d_5/2 orbitals make hahnium pentahalide more covalent than tantalum pentahalide and increase the bond strength. The nonrelativistic treatment of the wave functions results in an increase in ionicity of the MCl_5 molecules in going from Nb to Ha making element Ha an analog of V. Different trends for the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases are also found for ionization potentials, electronic affinities, and energies of charge-transfer transitions as well as the stability of the maximum oxidation state.

The electronic structure of anionic halide complexes of element 105 in aqueous solutions and their extraction by aliphatic amines

To study the complex formation of group 5 elements (Nb, Ta, Ha, and pseudoanalog Pa) in aqueous HCI solutions of medium and high concentrations the electronic structures of anionic complexes of these elements [MCl_6]^-, [MOCl_4]^-, [M(OH)-2 Cl_4]^-, and [MOCl_5]^2- have been calculated using the relativistic Dirac-Slater Discrete-Variational Method. The charge density distribution analysis has shown that tantalum occupies a specific position in the group and has the highest tendency to form the pure halide complex, [TaCl_6-. This fact along with a high covalency of this complex explains its good extractability into aliphatic amines. Niobium has equal trends to form pure halide [NbCl_6]^- and oxyhalide [NbOCl_5]^2- species at medium and high acid concentrations. Protactinium has a slight preference for the [PaOCl_5]^2- form or for the pure halide complexes with coordination number higher than 6 under these conditions. Element 105 at high HCl concentrations will have a preference to form oxyhalide anionic complex [HaOCl_5]^2- rather than [HaCl_6]^-. For the same sort of anionic oxychloride complexes an estimate has been done of their partition between the organic and aqueous phases in the extraction by aliphatic amines, which shows the following succession of the partition coefficients: P_Nb < P_Ha < P_Pa.

Ionization potentials and radii of atoms and ions of element 105 (unnilpentium) and ions of tantalum derived from multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations

Multiconfiguration relativistic Dirac-Fock (MCDF) values were calculated for the first five ionization potentials of element 105 (unnilpentium) and of the other group 5b elements (V, Nb, and Ta). Some of these ionization potentials in electron volts (eV) with uncertainties are: 105(0), 7.4±0.4; 105(1 +), 16.3 ±0.2; 105(2 +), 24.3 ± 0.2; 105(3 + ), 34.9 ± 0.5; and 105(4 + ), 44.9 ± 0.1. Ionization potentials for Ta(1+), Ta(2 +), and Ta(3 + ) were also calculated. Accurate experimental values for these ionization potentials are not available. Ionic radii are presented for the 2+, 3+, 4 +, and 5+ ions of element 105 and for the + 2 ions of vanadium and niobium. These radii for vanadium and niobium are not available elsewhere. The ionization potentials and ionic radii obtained are used to determine some standard electrode potentials for element 105. Born-Haber cycles and a form of the Born equation for the Gibbs free energy of hydration of ions were used to calculate the standard electrode potentials.