This paper is dedicaterl to Profe>.s.sor Sigerx Hlrzirltrgcr or1 tile oc.ctl.c.ior~ of'11i.s 65th Oirtl~rltr~ LEIF J. SAETHRE and ODD GROI>EN. Can. J . Chern. 70, 348 ( 1992).The molecular structures of square-planar x,"., X,', and X, (X = S , Se, Te) have been calculated using the effective core potential model. For x," the agreement between experimental and calculated valucs is excellent provided that d orbitals are included in the basis set. For the hypothetical niolecules X,' and X, the bond lengths are found to increase dramatically as one and, subsequently, two electrons are added to the systems. Extensive population analysis shows that this increase is almost exclusively due to loss of bonding in the .rr system, whereas the bonding in the a system remains relatively unaltered. These results make it possible to predict covalent single bond radii for S , Se, and Te for which the influence of .rr repulsion is removed. From the calculated variation of bond lengths with atomic charge, bond lengths are predicted for a series of planar disulphide rings.