Although the Cl2 + ion has not been isolated, it has been detected in the gas phase by U...

Although the Cl₂ ⁺ ion has not been isolated, it has been detected in the gas phase by UV spectroscopy. An attempt to prepare this ion by reaction of Cl₂ with IrF₆ yielded not Cl₂ ⁺, but the rectangular ion Cl₄ ⁺ . (See S. Seidel, K. Seppelt, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. , 2000 , 39 , 3923.)

a. Compare the bond distance and bond energy of Cl₂ ⁺ with Cl₂ .

b. Account for the bonding in Cl₄ ⁺ . This ion contains two short Cl–Cl bonds and two much longer ones. Would you expect the shorter Cl–Cl distances in Cl₄ ⁺ to be longer or shorter than the Cl–Cl distance in Cl₂? Explain.