THE INTERACTION OF SOME METAL DICHLORIDES (CA, CR, MN, FE, CO, NI, ZN) WITH DINITROGEN

The dichlorides of Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn have been isolated in argon and nitrogen matrices and examined by infrared spectroscopy in the range 4000-200 cm-1. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the behaviour of the difluorides and the monoxides. Both CoCl2 and NiCl2 show anomalous shifts in the frequency of v3 between argon and nitrogen matrices. Isotopic substitution shows that these molecules are strongly bent in nitrogen matrices, in contrast to their behaviour in argon matrices. It is likely that the primary interaction between the host nitrogen matrix and the guest dichloride is ion-induced-dipole rather than the formation of a discrete MCl2.N2 species.