A series of [
XN
5]
− (
X=O, S, Se, Te) compounds has been examined with ab initio and Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. The five-membered nitrogen ring series of structures are global minima and may exist or be characterized due to their significant dissociation barriers (29.7–32.7 kcal mol
−1). Nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) criteria and the presence of (4
n+2) π-electrons confirmed that the five-membered nitrogen ring in their structures exhibits characteristics of aromaticity. Thus, the strong stability of the five-membered nitrogen ring structures may be attributed partially to their aromaticity.
Keywords Ab initio - HEDMs - [XN5]−
- Aromaticity - NICS