Beryllium Dimer Reactions with Acetonitrile: Formation of Strong Be-Be Bonds

Laser ablated Be atoms have been reacted with acetonitrile molecules in 4 K solid neon matrix. The diberyllium products BeBeNCCH3 and CNBeBeCH3 have been identified by D and 13C isotopic substitutions and quantum chemical calculations. The stabilization of the diberyllium species is rationalized from the formation of the real Be-Be single bonds with bond distances as 2.077 and 2.058 angstrom and binding energies as -27.1 and -77.2 kcal/mol calculated at CCSD (T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory for BeBeNCCH3 and CNBeBeCH3, respectively. EDA-NOCV analysis described the interaction between Be2 and NC center dot center dot center dot CH3 fragments as Lewis "acid-base" interactions. In the complexes, the Be2 moiety carries positive charges which transfer from antibonding orbital of Be2 to the bonding fragments significantly strengthen the Be-Be bonds that are corroborated by AIM, LOL and NBO analyses. In addition, mono beryllium products BeNCCH3, CNBeCH3, HBeCH2CN and HBeNCCH2 have also been observed in our experiments.