X-ray crystal structures of alpha-KrF(2),[KrF][MF(6)](M=As,Sb,Bi),[Kr(2)F(3)][SbF(6).KrF(2), [Ke(2)F(3)2[SbF(6)]2.KrF(2), and [Kr(2)F(3)][AsF(6)].[KrF][AsF(6)]; synthesis and characterization of [Kr(2)F(3)][PF(6).nKrF(2); and theoretical studies of KrF(2), KrF+, Kr(2)F(3)+, and the [KrF][MF(6)](M=P,As,Sb,Bi) ion pairs.

The crystal structures of alpha-KrF(2) and salts containing the KrF(+) and Kr(2)F(3)(+) cations have been investigated for the first time using low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The low-temperature alpha-phase of KrF(2) crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I4/mmm with a = 4.1790(6) A, c = 6.489(1) A, Z = 2, V = 113.32(3) A(3), R(1) = 0.0231, and wR(2) = 0.0534 at -125 degrees C. The [KrF][MF(6)] (M = As, Sb, Bi) salts are isomorphous and isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with Z = 4. The unit cell parameters are as follows: beta-[KrF][AsF(6)], a = 5.1753(2) A, b = 10.2019(7) A, c = 10.5763(8) A, beta = 95.298(2) degrees, V = 556.02(6) A(3), R(1) = 0.0265, and wR(2) = 0.0652 at -120 degrees C; [KrF][SbF(6)], a = 5.2922(6) A, b = 10.444(1) A, c = 10.796(1) A, beta = 94.693(4) degrees, V = 594.73(1) A(3), R(1) = 0.0266, wR(2) = 0.0526 at -113 degrees C; [KrF][BiF(6)], a = 5.336(1) A, b = 10.513(2) A, c = 11.046(2) A, beta = 94.79(3) degrees, V = 617.6(2) A(3), R(1) = 0.0344, and wR(2) = 0.0912 at -130 degrees C. The Kr(2)F(3)(+) cation was investigated in [Kr(2)F(3)][SbF(6)].KrF(2), Kr(2)F(3)SbF(6).KrF(2), and [Kr(2)F(3)][AsF(6)].[KrF][AsF(6)]. Kr(2)F(3)SbF(6).KrF(2) crystallizes in the monoclinic P2(1)/c space group with Z = 4 and a = 8.042(2) A, b = 30.815(6) A, c = 8.137(2) A, beta = 111.945(2) degrees, V = 1870.1(7) A(3), R(1) = 0.0376, and wR(2) = 0.0742 at -125 degrees C. [Kr(2)F(3)][SbF(6)].KrF(2) crystallizes in the triclinic P1 space group with Z = 2 and a = 8.032(3) A, b = 8.559(4) A, c = 8.948(4) A, alpha = 69.659(9) degrees, beta = 63.75(1) degrees, gamma = 82.60(1) degrees, V = 517.1(4) A(3), R(1) = 0.0402, and wR(2) = 0.1039 at -113 degrees C. [Kr(2)F(3)][AsF(6)].[KrF][AsF(6)] crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with Z = 4 and a = 6.247(1) A, b = 24.705(4) A, c = 8.8616(6) A, beta = 90.304(6) degrees, V = 1367.6(3) A(3), R(1) = 0.0471 and wR(2) = 0.0958 at -120 degrees C. The terminal Kr-F bond lengths of KrF(+) and Kr(2)F(3)(+) are very similar, exhibiting no crystallographically significant variation in the structures investigated (range, 1.765(3)-1.774(6) A and 1.780(7)-1.805(5) A, respectively). The Kr-F bridge bond lengths are significantly longer, with values ranging from 2.089(6) to 2.140(3) A in the KrF(+) salts and from 2.027(5) to 2.065(4) A in the Kr(2)F(3)(+) salts. The Kr-F bond lengths of KrF(2) in [Kr(2)F(3)][SbF(6)].KrF(2) and Kr(2)F(3)SbF(6).KrF(2) range from 1.868(4) to 1.888(4) A and are similar to those observed in alpha-KrF(2) (1.894(5) A). The synthesis and Raman spectrum of the new salt, [Kr(2)F(3)][PF(6)].nKrF(2), are also reported. Electron structure calculations at the Hartree-Fock and local density-functional theory levels were used to calculate the gas-phase geometries, charges, Mayer bond orders, and Mayer valencies of KrF(+), KrF(2), Kr(2)F(3)(+), and the ion pairs, [KrF][MF(6)] (M = P, As, Sb, Bi), and to assign their experimental vibrational frequencies.