Bond dissociation energy (R3M+−L) and bond length (R−M and M−L) trends in the R3ML+ series of cation−ligand (L) complexes for M = carbon and silicon, and R = H, CH3 and F are derived from density functional
theory calculations using the hybrid B3LYP exchange−correlation potential. The ligands studied are NH3,
H2O, HCN, H2CO, MeCN, Me2O, Me2CO, FCN, F2 O, F2CO, and NF3, where ligand binding to M is through
the nitrogen or oxygen atom. For all ligand substrates, R3M+−L bond energies are calculated to decrease
from carbenium to silicenium with R = H but to increase for R=methyl and fluorine. Also for these latter
two cases, in going from the bare R3M+ cation to the ligand complexes, the R−M distances increase by more
than twice as much for the carbenium than for the silicenium ions. These trends indicate the relative importance
of a stabilizing R−M hyperconjugative interaction in the bare tert-butyl and trifluoromethyl cations compared
with the other bare cations and all the cation−ligand complexes. Ab initio, multiconfiguration VBSCF
calculations are carried out on model systems (AH
n
−MH2
+; M = C, Si; AH
n
= CH3, SiH3, F), designed to
mimic the R3M+ cations, in order to analyze the electronic structure of the R−M bond. The π bond component,
representing the hyperconjugative interaction, is found to preferentially stabilize CH3CH2
+ over SiH3CH2
+,
and FCH2
+ relative to FSiH2
+. The fluorosilicenium cation shows significant π donor effects. This analysis
establishes the theoretical basis for the trends in energy and structural properties found for the R3M+ cations
and cation−ligand complexes.