Structure
S4N4 adopts an unusual “extreme cradle” structure, with D2d point group symmetry. It can be viewed as a derivative of a hypothetical eight-membered ring of alternating sulfur and nitrogen atoms. The pairs of sulfur atoms across the ring are separated by 2.586 Å, resulting in a cage-like structure as determined by single crystal X-Ray diffraction. The nature of the "transannular" S–S interactions remains a matter of investigation because it is significantly shorter than the sum of the van der Waal's distances but has been explained in the context of molecular orbital theory. The bonding in S4N4 is considered to be delocalized, which is indicated by the fact that the bond distances between neighboring sulfur and nitrogen atoms are almost the same.
Read more about this topic: Tetrasulfur Tetranitride
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