Structure and Torsional Properties of Oxalyl Chloride Fluoride in the Gas Phase: An Electron-Diffraction Investigation

The structure and torsional properties of oxalyl chloride fluoride in the gas phase have been measured by electron diffraction at temperatures of 22, 81, 158, and 310 °C. The molecule may be regarded as a hybrid of oxalyl chloride and oxalyl fluoride. Since the former exists as a more stable periplanar anti form (ϕ = 180°) in equilibrium with a less stable gauche form (ϕ ≃ 60°) and the latter as an equilibrium between two periplanar forms, anti and syn, the second form of oxalyl chloride fluoride is an interesting question. It was found to be gauche. The system was modeled as two rotational conformers related by a potential of the form 2V = V(1)(1 + cos ϕ) - V(2)(1 - cos 2ϕ) + V(3)(1 + cos 3ϕ). The anti/gauche bond distances and bond angles (r(g)/Angstroms, ∠(α)/degrees) with estimated 2σ uncertainties at 22 °C arer(C═O)= 1.183(2)/1.182(2), Δr(C═O) = 0.003(6)/0.002(6) (assumed from theory), r(C-F) = 1.329(3)/1.335(3), r(C-Cl) = 1.738(2)/1.753(2), ∠(C-C-Cl) = 112.0(3)/111.9(3), ∠(C-C═O3) = 123.0(4)/123.2(4), ∠(O═C-Cl) = 125.0(2)/1.249(2), ∠(O═C-F) = 123.0(3)/125.1(3), and ∠(Cl-C-C-F) = 180.0/59.8. The variation of composition with temperature afforded a determination of the standard enthalpy and entropy of the reaction anti → gauche. The results are ΔH° = 2.5(12) kcal/mol and ΔS° = -6.5(33) cal/(mol·K). The structures and equilibria are discussed.