Raman and infrared spectroscopic and theoretical studies of dinuclear rhenium and osmium complexes, M2(O2CCH3)4X2 (M = Re, Os; X = Cl, Br)

Infrared, far-infrared and Raman spectra of Re₂(O₂CCH₃)₄X₂ (X = Cl, Br) and Re₂(O₂CCD₃)₄Cl₂ have been recorded. Assignments of the vibrational spectra of Os₂(O₂CCH₃)₄Cl₂ and its deuterated derivative have been completed together with the Re complexes on the basis of normal-coordinate analysis. Force constant calculation was made for the acetate ion as well as for a four-atomic unit (with the CH₃ and CD₃ groups considered as point masses) using optimized masses of 16.7, 17.8, 20.5 and 21.6 for ¹²CH₃, ¹³CH₃, ¹²CD₃ and ¹³CD₃ groups, respectively. The force constants of the acetate ion have been adopted to the starting force field of the M₂(O₂CCH₃)₄X₂ type complexes. The metal-halide (0.889, 0.997 and 1.286 N cm⁻¹) and metal-metal stretching (3.32, 3.34 and 3.57 N cm⁻¹) force constants were obtained for Re₂(O₂CCH₃)₄Cl₂Re₂(O₂CCH₃)₄Br₂ and Os₂(O₂CCH₃)₄Cl₂ complexes, respectively. It was shown that the so-called diatomic approximation in most cases overestimates the M-M stretching force constants by 30-40%. Much better correlation has been obtained to fit these force constants, which produced values very close to those obtained by full normal-coordinate calculations. The Re-Re stretching force constants showed a reasonable correlation with the Re-Re bond distances for 18 rhenium complexes.