In: Chemistry
Structural data evolves with time, even for simple molecules. Consider the compounds E(CF3)3, i.e, the tris(trifluoromethyl) derivatives of P, As, and Sb. C-E-C bond angles were determined by gas-phase electron diffraction in the mid-20th century and given as: E=P, 99.6°; E=As, 100.1°; E=Sb, 100.0°.
a) Does this trend seem reasonable, and explain your answer.
b) A more rigorous recent similar experiment gave a C-As-C bond angle of 95.4°, compared to a calculated value of 95.9°. In view of this which of the other two C-E-C bond angles seems most suspect, and why?