Digallane

Digallane
Names
IUPAC name
digallane(6)
Other names
Di-μ-hydrido-tetrahydridodigallium
Gallane dimer
Identifiers
CAS Number
  • 12140-58-8 checkY
3D model (JSmol)
  • Interactive image
ChemSpider
  • 24769416
InChI
  • InChI=1S/2Ga.6H
    Key: GFQCQFDOQMRGIQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • [GaH2]1[H] [GaH2] [H]1
Properties
Chemical formula
Ga2H6
Molar mass 145.494 g/mol
Appearance White solid or colorless gas
Melting point −50 °C (−58 °F; 223 K) (sublimes)
Boiling point 0 °C (32 °F; 273 K) (decomposes)
Solubility in water
Reacts to form gallium(III) hydroxide
Related compounds
Related compounds
  • Diborane
  • Aluminium hydride
  • Indium trihydride
  • Thallium hydride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references
Chemical compound

Digallane (systematically named digallane(6)) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula GaH2(H)2GaH2 (also written [{GaH2(μ-H)}2] or [Ga2H6]). It is the dimer of the monomeric compound gallane. The eventual preparation of the pure compound, reported in 1989,[1][2] was hailed as a "tour de force."[3] Digallane had been reported as early as 1941 by Wiberg;[4] however, this claim could not be verified by later work by Greenwood and others.[5] This compound is a colorless gas that decomposes above 0 °C.

Preparation

A two-stage approach proved to be the key to successful synthesis of pure digallane. Firstly the dimeric monochlorogallane, (H2GaCl)2 (containing bridging chlorine atoms and thus formulated as (H2Ga(μ-Cl))2) was prepared via the hydrogenation of gallium trichloride, GaCl3, with trimethylsilane, Me3SiH. This step was followed by a further reduction with Li[GaH4] (lithium tetrahydrogallate), solvent free, at −23 °C, to produce digallane, Ga2H6 in low yield.

Ga2Cl6 + 4 Me3SiH → (H2GaCl)2 + 4 Me3SiCl
(H2GaCl)2 + 2 Li[GaH4] → 2 Ga2H6 + 2 LiCl

Digallane is volatile and condenses at −50 °C into a white solid.

Structure and bonding

Electron diffraction measurements of the vapour at 255 K established that digallane is structurally similar to diborane with 2 bridging hydrogen atoms[2] (so-called three-center two-electron bonds). The terminal Ga-H bond length is 152 pm, the Ga-H bridging is 171 pm and the Ga-H-Ga angle is 98°. The Ga-Ga distance is 258 pm. The 1H NMR spectrum of a solution of digallane in toluene shows two peaks attributable to terminal and bridging hydrogen atoms.[2]

In the solid state, digallane appears to adopt a polymeric or oligomeric structure. The vibrational spectrum is consistent with tetramer (i.e. (GaH3)4).[2] The vibrational data indicate the presence of terminal hydride ligands. In contrast, the hydrogen atoms are all bridging in α-alane, a high-melting, relatively stable polymeric form of aluminium hydride wherein the aluminium centers are 6-coordinated. Digallane decomposes at ambient temperatures:

Ga2H6 → 2 Ga + 3 H2

References

  1. ^ Anthony J. Downs; Michael J. Goode; Colin R. Pulham (1989). "Gallane at last!". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 111 (5): 1936–1937. doi:10.1021/ja00187a090.
  2. ^ a b c d Pulham C.R.; Downs A.J.; Goode M.J; Rankin D.W.H. Roberson H.E. (1991). "Gallane: Synthesis, Physical and Chemical Properties, and Structure of the Gaseous Molecule Ga2H6 As Determined by Electron Diffraction". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 113 (14): 5149–5162. doi:10.1021/ja00014a003.
  3. ^ N.N. Greenwood (2001). "Main group element chemistry at the millennium". J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. (14): 2055–2066. doi:10.1039/b103917m.
  4. ^ Wiberg E.; Johannsen T. (1941). "Über einen flüchtigen Galliumwasserstoff der Formel Ga2H6 und sein Tetramethylderivat". Naturwissenschaften. 29 (21): 320. Bibcode:1941NW.....29..320W. doi:10.1007/BF01479551. S2CID 44840674.
  5. ^ Shriver, D. F.; Parry, R. W.; Greenwood, N. N.; Storr, A; Wallbridge, M. G. H. (1963). "Some Observations Relative to Digallane". Inorg. Chem. 2 (4): 867–868. doi:10.1021/ic50008a053.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Gallium(-V)
  • Mg5Ga2
Gallium(I)
Gallium(II)
  • GaS
  • GaSe
  • GaTe
Gallium(I,III)
  • GaCl2
Gallium(III)
  • GaAs
  • GaH3
  • Ga2H6
  • GaBr3
  • GaCl3
  • GaF3
  • GaI3
  • GaN
  • Ga(OH)3
  • Ga(CN)3
  • Ga(NO3)3
  • Ga2(SO4)3
  • GaPO4
  • GaP
  • GaSb
  • Ga2O3
  • Ga2S3
  • Ga2Se3
  • Ga(CH3COO)3
  • Ga2Te3
Organogallium(III) compounds
  • Ga(C5H7O2)3
  • Ga(CH3)3
  • Ga(C2H5)3
    • v
    • t
    • e
    Alkali metal
    (Group 1) hydrides
    Alkaline
    (Group 2)
    earth hydrides
    Monohydrides
    Dihydrides
    • BeH2
    • MgH2
    • CaH2
    • SrH2
    • BaH2
    Group 13
    hydrides
    Boranes
    • BH3
    • BH
    • B2H6
    • B2H2
    • B2H4
    • B4H10
    • B5H9
    • B5H11
    • B6H10
    • B6H12
    • B10H14
    • B18H22
    Alanes
    • AlH3
    • Al2H6
    Gallanes
    • GaH3
    • Ga2H6
    Indiganes
    • InH3
    • In2H6
    Thallanes
    • TlH3
    • Tl2H6
    Nihonanes (predicted)
    • NhH
    • NhH3
    • Nh2H6
    • NhH5
    Group 14 hydrides
    Hydrocarbons
    • CH
    • CH2
    • CH3
    • C2H
    Silanes
    • SiH4
    • Si2H6
    • Si3H8
    • Si4H10
    • Si5H12
    • Si6H14
    • Si7H16
    • Si8H18
    • Si9H20
    • Si10H22
    • more...
    Silenes
    • Si2H4
    Silynes
    Germanes
    • GeH4
    • Ge2H6
    • Ge3H8
    • Ge4H10
    • Ge5H12
    Stannanes
    • SnH4
    • Sn2H6
    Plumbanes
    • PbH4
    Flerovanes (predicted)
    • FlH
    • FlH2
    • FlH4
    Pnictogen
    (Group 15) hydrides
    Azanes
    • NH3
    • N2H4
    • N3H5
    • N4H6
    • N5H7
    • N6H8
    • N7H9
    • N8H10
    • N9H11
    • N10H12
    • more...
    Azenes
    • N2H2
    • N3H3
    • N4H4
    Phosphanes
    • PH3
    • P2H4
    • P3H5
    • P4H6
    • P5H7
    • P6H8
    • P7H9
    • P8H10
    • P9H11
    • P10H12
    • more...
    Phosphenes
    • P2H2
    • P3H3
    • P4H4
    Arsanes
    • AsH3
    • As2H4
    Stibanes
    • SbH3
    Bismuthanes
    • BiH3
    Moscovanes
    • McH3 (predicted)
    • HN3
    • NH
    • HN5
    • NH5 (?)
    Hydrogen
    chalcogenides
    (Group 16 hydrides)
    Polyoxidanes
  • H2O
  • H2O2
  • H2O3
  • H2O4
  • H2O5
  • more...
  • Polysulfanes
    • H2S
    • H2S2
    • H2S3
    • H2S4
    • H2S5
    • H2S6
    • H2S7
    • H2S8
    • H2S9
    • H2S10
    • more...
    Selanes
    • H2Se
    • H2Se2
    Tellanes
    • H2Te
    • H2Te2
    Polanes
    • PoH2
    Livermoranes
    • LvH2 (predicted)
    • HO
    • HO2
    • HO3
    • H2O+–O (?)
    • HS
    • HDO
    • D2O
    • T2O
    Hydrogen halides
    (Group 17 hydrides)
  • HF
  • HCl
  • HBr
  • HI
  • HAt
  • HTs (predicted)
  • Transition metal hydrides
    • ScH2
    • YH2
    • YH3
    • YH6
    • YH9
    • LuH2
    • LuH3
    • TiH2
    • TiH4
    • ZrH2
    • ZrH4
    • HfH2
    • HfH4
    • VH
    • VH2
    • NbH
    • NbH2
    • TaH
    • TaH2
    • CrH
    • CrH2
    • CrHx
    • FeH
    • FeH2
    • FeH5
    • CoH2
    • RhH2
    • IrH3
    • NiH
    • PdHx (x < 1)
    • PtHx (x< 1)
    • DsH2 (predicted)
    • CuH
    • RgH (predicted)
    • ZnH2
    • CdH2
    • HgH
    • Hg2H2
    • HgH2
    • CnH2 (predicted)
    Lanthanide hydrides
    • LaH2
    • LaH3
    • LaH10
    • CeH2
    • CeH3
    • PrH2
    • PrH3
    • NdH2
    • NdH3
    • SmH2
    • SmH3
    • EuH2
    • GdH2
    • GdH3
    • TbH2
    • TbH3
    • DyH2
    • DyH3
    • HoH2
    • HoH3
    • ErH2
    • ErH3
    • TmH2
    • TmH3
    • YbH2
    • LuH2
    • LuH3
    Actinide hydrides
    • AcH2
    • ThH2
    • ThH4
    • Th4H15
    • PaH3
    • UH3
    • UH4
    • NpH2
    • NpH3
    • PuH2
    • PuH3
    • AmH2
    • AmH3
    • CmH2
    • BkH2
    • BkH3
    • CfH2
    • CfH3
    Exotic matter hydrides