Flattening of rhodium vertices in mixed rhodium-nickel carbonyl clusters: relationships to borane and zintl ion structures

Density Functional Theory Study of 11-Atom Germanium Clusters: Effect of Electron Count on Cluster Geometry

Density functional theory (DFT) at the hybrid B3LYP level has been applied to the germanium clusters Ge(11)(z) (z = -6, -4, -2, 0, +2, +4, +6) starting from eight different initial configurations. The global minimum within the Ge(11)(2-) set is an elongated pentacapped trigonal prism distorted from D(3)(h) to C(2v) symmetry. However, the much more spherical edge-coalesced icosahedron, also of C(2v) symmetry, expected by the Wade-Mingos rules for a 2n + 2 skeletal electron system and found experimentally in B(11)H(11)(2-) and isoelectronic carboranes, is of only slightly higher energy (+5.2 kcal/mol). Even more elongated D(3)(h) pentacapped trigonal prisms are the global minima for the electron-rich structures Ge(11)(4-) and Ge(11)(6-). For Ge(11)(4-) the C(5v) 5-capped pentagonal antiprism analogous to the dicarbollide ligand C(2)B(9)H(11)(2-) is of significantly higher energy (approximately 28 kcal/mol) than the D(3h) global minimum. The C(2v) edge-coalesced icosahedron is also the global minimum for the electron-poor Ge(11) similar to its occurrence in experimentally known 11-vertex "isocloso" metallaboranes of the type (eta(6)-arene)RuB(10)H(10). The lowest energy polyhedral structures computed for the more hypoelectronic Ge(11)(4+) and Ge(11)(6+) clusters are very similar to those found experimentally for the isoelectronic ions E(11)(7-) (E = Ga, In, Tl) and Tl(9)Au(2)(9-) in intermetallics in the case of Ge(11)(4+) and Ge(11)(6+), respectively. These DFT studies predict an interesting D(5h) centered pentagonal prismatic structure for Ge(11)(2+) and isoelectronic metal clusters.

Li17Ag3Sn6: A Polar Intermetallic π-System with Carbonate-like [AgSn3]11- Anions and Trefoil Aromatic [Ag2Sn3]6- Layers

A new lithium silver stannide, Li17Ag3Sn6, was synthesized from high-temperature reactions of the pure elements in tantalum containers. Its crystal structure, in the space group, P31m, with a = 8.063(3) A, c = 8.509(4) A, Z = 1, features two distinct AgSn-based anionic layers. Defect graphitic layers of Ag2Sn3, with ordered vacancies at one-third of the Ag sites, are alternately stacked with Kagome-like nets of isolated trigonal planar AgSn3 units. Double layers of Li ions are sandwiched between the stacked AgSn-based layers. Theoretical calculations show unusual pi-interactions within both anionic layers, with the trigonal planar [AgSn3]11- units being isoelectronic with CO(3)2-. In addition, the chemical bonding of the layered [Ag2Sn3]6- pi-network features incompletely filled lone-pair Sn states involved in in-plane trefoil aromatic interactions. Transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements on Li17Ag3Sn6 indicate excellent metallic behavior and temperature-independent paramagnetism consistent with results from band structure calculations. The "trefoil" aromaticity, previously postulated for aromatic molecular systems, is finally observed, albeit in a polar intermetallic solid-state structure that lies at the border between metals and nonmetals.

Density Functional Theory Study of Nine-Atom Germanium Clusters: Effect of Electron Count on Cluster Geometry

Density functional theory (DFT) at the hybrid B3LYP level has been applied to the germanium clusters Ge(9)(z) clusters (z = -6, -4, -3, -2, 0, +2, and +4) starting from three different initial configurations. Double-zeta quality LANL2DZ basis functions extended by adding one set of polarization (d) and one set of diffuse (p) functions were used. The global minimum for Ge(9)(2)(-) is the tricapped trigonal prism expected by Wade's rules for a 2n + 2 skeletal electron structure. An elongated tricapped trigonal prism is the global minimum for Ge(9)(4)(-) similar to the experimentally found structure for the isoelectronic Bi(9)(5+). However, the capped square antiprism predicted by Wade's rules for a 2n + 4 skeletal electron structure is only 0.21 kcal/mol above this global minimum indicating that these two nine-vertex polyhedra have very similar energies in this system. Tricapped trigonal prismatic structures are found for both singlet and triplet Ge(9)(6)(-), with the latter being lower in energy by 3.66 kcal/mol and far less distorted. The global minimum for the hypoelectronic Ge(9) is a bicapped pentagonal bipyramid. However, a second structure for Ge(9) only 4.54 kcal/mol above this global minimum is the C(2)(v)() flattened tricapped trigonal prism structure found experimentally for the isoelectronic Tl(9)(9)(-). For the even more hypoelectronic Ge(9)(2+), the lowest energy structure consists of an octahedron fused to two trigonal bipyramids. For Ge(9)(4+), the global minimum is an oblate (squashed) pentagonal bipyramid with two pendant Ge vertices.