The structure and bonding in [M2O7]
n
- anions of the early transition metals V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W have been
investigated by density-functional methods. Several molecular conformations have been tested in geometry
optimizations, and systems with a linear M−O−M bridge have been the only structures obtained for V, Nb,
and Ta, and the most stable configurations for Mo and W. Molecular-orbital analysis has indicated that multiple
bonds are formed between the metal and both bridging (Ob) and terminal (Ot) oxygen atoms. However, it has
been found that M−Ob interactions are characterized by bond lengths and bond orders that are typical of a
single M−O bond. The results from population analysis (Mulliken charges and Mayer bond indices) have
suggested that the repulsive interactions between the ends of the molecules may be a more important structural
factor in determining the configuration of the bridge than M−Ob π bonding is.