Cyanides and Isocyanides of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury: Matrix Infrared Spectra and Electronic Structure Calculations for the Linear MNC, NCMCN, CNMNC, NCMMCN, and CNMMNC Molecules

Cadmium atoms from laser ablation react with cyanogen, NC=CN, in excess argon during co‐deposition at 4 K, and even more on UV irradiation of the cold samples. Final annealing to 35 K increases bands at 2187.3 and 2089.2 cm −1 at the expense of weaker bands at 2194.6 and 2092.2 cm −1 through addition of another cadmium atom. Reaction products were identified by comparison with B3LYP and CCSD(T) computed frequencies and energies, through frequency differences between Zn and Cd products, and by cyanogen isotopic substitution. The CN radical, ZnNC, and CdNC were observed on sample deposition. Hg arc ultraviolet (UV) irradiation activates the insertion of Cd and Zn to form the NCCdCN, CNCdNC, NCZnCN and CNZnNC molecules. Next annealing increased the dimetal products NCCdCdCN, CNCdCdNC, NCZnZnCN, and CNZnZnNC at the expense of their single metal analogs. Laser ablated mercury amalgam also produced NCHgCN, NCHg−HgCN, CNHgNC and CNHg−HgNC. The Group12 metals form both cyanide and isocyanide products, and the argon matrix also traps the higher energy but much more intensely absorbing isocyanides. In the isocyanide case bond polarity results in very intense infrared absorptions. Group 12 metals produce shorter M−M bonds in the dimetal cyanides NCM−MCN and isocyanides CNM−MNC than in the M−M itself, and their computed M−M bond lengths compare favorably with those measured for dimetal complexes stabilized by large ring containing molecular ligands.