Electronic structure of UCl5: A reexamination

On the basis of the absorption spectrum of UCl5 recorded at 4.2 K, Leung and Poon attempted a determination of both the spin-orbit coupling constant and the crystal field parameters. Their parameters, however, led to a calculated g-tensor at variance with the position of the electron paramagnetic resonance line observed by Miyake et al. It was therefore attempted to simultaneously interpret both spectra (absorption and EPR), assuming the validity of the Newman superposition model, and taking the point symmetry group on each uranium of the (UCl5)2 dimer as C2sub(v). We obtain one and only one satisfactory solution, namely a set of parameters that reasonably reproduce the observed absorption peaks, and lead to the following principal values of the g-tensor: gx = 0.226 (unobservable); gy = 1.187; gz = 1.186. Therefore the paradox stemming from the apparent isotropy of the EPR signal for a species of low point symmetry is resolved. (orig.)