Electron spin resonance study of intermetallic molecules cum and aum (M = Mg, Zn, Cd and Hg)

Abstract

A series of intermetallic diatomic molecules, CuM and AuM (M = Mg, Zn, Cd and Hg) generated in argon matrices was examined by e.s.r. spectroscopy. For all the CuM and AuM examined, the hyperfine coupling tensors to the Cu and Au nuclei were isotropic. The unpaired electron resides in an orbital given essentially by an antibonding combination of the valence s orbitals of Cu (or Au) and M atoms. Coupling interactions observed with magnetic Cd and Hg nuclei, and the analysis of the g tensor indicate a small admixture (≈ 10%) of the valence p_z orbital of the atom M in each CuM and AuM examined.