ESR investigation of ScF2 isolated in rare gas matrices at 12 K

Abstract

The radical molecule ScF2 has been produced at high temperature, trapped in argon and xenon matrices at 12 K and studied via electron spin resonance (ESR). Attempts to study the radical in neon matrices at 4 K and nitrogen at 12 K were unsuccessful. The observed 45Sc and 19F hyperfine splittings in an argon matrix were 220 and 28 MHz, respectively. The g tensor was not fully resolved; however, the most intense component had a g value of 1.995 (1) in argon. The magnetic parameters and electronic structure of ScF2 are compared to ScO, ScS, and TiF2+. A nearly tenfold decrease in metal hfs is observed for ScF2 relative to ScO.