Molecular polarisability. The apparent anisotropies of carbon–halogen bonds in methylene dihalides

Abstract

Molar Kerr constants of methylene dichloride, dibromide, and di-iodide at infinite dilution in carbon tetrachloride or benzene are found to be algebraically notably more negative than would be expected from C–X bond polarisability anisotropies previously extracted from n-alkyl halides and the largest XCX angles reported in the literature. Possible reasons for this are discussed. An empirical procedure for the partial reconciliation of the calculated and observed _mK values is proposed.