Equilibrium structures of isolated (halogenated) fluorolithiomethanes

Equilibrium structures of isolated fluorolithiomethanes (1–3), chlorofluorolithiomethanes (4–6), bromofluorolithiomethanes (7–9), and bromochlorofluorolithiomethane (10) have been calculated at the HF/6-31+G(d,p) and MP2/6-31+G(d,p) levels. Depending on the number of halogens and the computational method employed, five distinct minimum structures could be recognized, viz. normal tetrahedral without coordination of halogen (T), trigonal bidentate with coordination of carbon and halogen to lithium (BCX), tetrahedral tridentate with coordination of carbon and two halogens to lithium (TCX2), quadrilateral bidentate with coordination of two halogens to lithium (BX2), and bipyramidal tridentate with coordination of three halogens to lithium (TX3).