Chalcogen versus Dative Bonding in [SF3]+ Lewis Acid–Base Adducts: [SF3(NCCH3)2]+, [SF3(NC5H5)2]+, and [SF3(phen)]+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline)

The Lewis-acid behavior of [SF3]­[MF6] (M = Sb, As) salts toward mono- and bidentate nitrogen bases was explored. Reactions of [SF3]­[MF6] with excesses of CH3CN and C5H5N yielded [SF3(L)2]+ (L = CH3CN, C5H5N) salts, whereas the reaction of [SF3]­[SbF6] with equimolar 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in CH3CN afforded [SF3(phen)]­[SbF6]·2CH3CN. Salts of these cations were characterized by low-temperature X-ray crystallography and Raman spectroscopy in the solid state as well as by 19F NMR spectroscopy in solution. In the solid state, the geometries of [SF3(NC5H5)2]+ and [SF3(phen)]+ are square pyramids with negligible cation–anion contacts, whereas the coordination of CH3CN and [SbF6]− to [SF3]+ in [SF3(NCCH3)2]­[SbF6] results in a distorted octahedral coordination sphere with a minimal perturbation of the trigonal-pyramidal SF3 moiety. 19F NMR spectroscopy revealed that [SF3(L)2]+ is fluxional in excess L at −30 °C, whereas [SF3(phen)]+ is rigid in CH2Cl2 at −40 °C. Density functional theory (DFT-B3LYP) calculations suggest that the S–N bonds in [SF3(NC5H5)2]+ and [SF3(phen)]+ possess substantial covalent character and result in a regular AX5E VSEPR geometry, whereas those in [SF3(NCCH3)2]+ are best described as S···N chalcogen-bonding interactions via σ-holes on [SF3]+, which is consistent with the crystallographic data.