Electron-spin conservation and methyl-substitution effects on bonds in closed- and open-shell systems A G3 ab initio study of small boron-containing molecules and radicals

High level ab initio molecular orbital theory calculations have been used to study the geometries and thermochemistry of molecules and free radicals substituted by BH 2 , BHCH 3 , and B(CH 3 ) 2 . The heats of formation and RR'B—X bond strengths (RR' = H, H; H, CH 3 ; CH 3 , CH 3 and X = CH 3 , NH 2 , OH, F, SiH 3 , PH 2 , SH, and Cl) together with those for the open-shell systems RR'B—Y· (RR' = H, H; H, CH 3 ; CH 3 , CH 3 and Y = CH 2 , NH, O, SiH 2 , PH, and S) have been calculated at the G3 level of theory. The trends observed for the homolytic bond strengths in the closed-shell systems are those expected from electronegativity arguments, i.e., as the difference in electronegativity between the two atoms in the B—X bond increases, the bond strength increases. Methyl substitution on B in the closed- and open-shell species increases the ionic contribution to the bond thereby decreasing the bond strength. The lowest possible homolytic dissociation energy for the free radicals RR'BY· is lower than those of their closed-shell counterparts, yet the B—Y· bonds are shorter. This is due to the demands of spin conservation in the dissociation of the radicals favouring the formation of higher energy products.