Magnetic Properties in Relation to Chemical Constitution

Abstract

THROUGH the kindness of Dr. Kapitza and Dr. Webster, we have had the opportunity of examining in the Cambridge Magnetic Laboratory a number of compounds to which formulæ with single-electron bonds have been assigned. These compounds are of two principal types: (1) Pervalent salts, including PCl₅, SbCl₅, SbMe₃Cl₂, SbMe₃Br₂, SbMe₃I₂, the α and β forms of TeMe₂Cl₂, TeMe₂Br₂ and TeEt₂I₂, μ-TeMe₂I₂ and μ-TeMe₂I₄, and a number of analogous compounds such as PCl₃, POCl₃, AlCl₃, TlI₃, BiI₃, CsI₃. (2) Co-ordination compounds, including the Li·, Be··, Al···, Co··, Ni··, and Fe··· derivatives of benzoylcamphor. Except in the case of substances containing a metal of the transition series, these compounds have all proved to be diamagnetic. We therefore conclude that all the electrons are magnetically paired, just as they are in compounds in which the valency-electrons are present as pairs of shared electrons or as ‘lone pairs’ of unshared electrons. The numerical results of these experiments will be published later.