A Molecular Octafluoridoneptunate(IV) anion in (NH₄)₄[NpF₈] and Theoretical Investigations of the [MF₈]₄-System (M = Th - Bk)

Olive-green single crystals of ammonium octafluoridoneptunate(IV), (NH₄)₄[NpF₈], were obtained by converting NpO₂ to a green neptunium tetrafluoride hydrate with hydrofluoric acid and subsequent treatment of the fluoride with an aqueous NH₄F solution. The crystal structure of the compound was determined by single-crystal X ray diffraction and observed to be isotypic to the uranium analogue. In (NH₄)₄[NpF₈], molecular [NpF₈]⁴‾ anions, which can either be described as a distorted square-antiprism or a bicapped trigonal prism, are present which are bound to the NH₄⁺ ions via N−H∙∙∙F hydrogen bonds. Quantum-chemical calculations of [MF₈]⁴‾ anions show that the M−F bonds are highly ionic and the energy differences between different ligand arrangements likely can be overcome by lattice energies of different crystal structures in the solid state.