The Intermolecular Interaction in D2-CX4 and O2-CX4 (X=F, Cl) Systems: Molecular Beam Scattering Experiments as a Sensitive Probe of the Selectivity of Charge Transfer Component

Gas phase collisions of a D2 projectile by CF4 and by CCl4 targets have been investigated with the molecular beam technique. The integral cross section, Q, has been measured for both collisional systems in the thermal energy range and oscillations due to the quantum “glory” interference have been resolved in the velocity dependence of Q. The analysis of the measured Q(v) data provided novel information on the anisotropic potential energy surfaces of the studied systems at intermediate and large separation distances. The relative role of the most relevant types of contributions to the global interaction has been characterized. Extending the phenomenology of a weak intermolecular halogen bond, the present work demonstrates that while D2−CF4 is basically bound through the balance between size (Pauli) repulsion and dispersion attraction, an appreciable intermolecular bond stabilization by charge transfer is operative in D2−CCl4. We also demonstrated that the present analysis is consistent with that carried out for the F(2P)–D2 and Cl(2P)–D2 systems, previously characterized by scattering experiments performed with state-selected halogen atom beams. A detailed comparison of the present and previous results on O2–CF4 and O2–CCl4 systems pinpointed striking differences in the behavior of hydrogen and oxygen molecules when they interact with the same partner, mainly due to the selectivity of the charge transfer component. The present work contributes to cast light on the nature and role of the intermolecular interaction in prototype systems, involving homo-nuclear diatoms and symmetric halogenated molecules.