DFT study of metal-tetrahydroborato ligand interactions in [Ti(CO)4(BH4)]-

Pare density functional theory calculations (BP86), as well as hybrid methods (B3LYP) for [Ti(BH4)(CO)(4)](-) complex have been carried out to study the metal-BH4 ligand interaction. Calculations show that the ground state is tridentate which is in good agreement with experimental results. Our calculations for various isomers with different BH4 modes allow us to conclude that this complex follow the 18-electron rule. The molecular orbital calculations show that potential energy surface in various rotamer of [Ti(eta(3)-BH4)(CO)(4)](-) complexes seems to be very flat. Certain differences between the B3LYP and BP86 functionals are observed in the numbers of imaginary vibrational frequencies, and relative energy differences. the harmonic vibration calculations on [Ti(eta(3)-BH4)(CO)(4)](-) complex are utilized to investigate donation of a-bonding electron pair of B-H unit to the central metal. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.