Quantitative gas-phase electrophilicities of the dihalogen molecules XY = F2, Cl2, Br2, BrCl and ClF

Abstract

Intermolecular stretching force constants k_σ determined from the rotational spectra of complexes B···XY, where B is one of the Lewis bases CO, C₂H_2, C₂H₄, HCN, H₂S and NH₃ and XY is a dihalogen F₂, Cl₂, Br₂, BrCl and ClF, are used to establish a quantitative scale of gas-phase electrophilicities E_XY of the halogens.