Nb₁₂ ⁺-niobespherene: a full-metal hollow-cage cluster with superatomic stability and resistance to CO attack.

ABSTRACT: Why one chemical is more stable than another is not always easy to understand. A unified answer for metal clusters has led to the establishment of the superatom concept, which rationalizes the delocalization of electrons; however, cluster stability based on superatom theory has not been confirmed unambiguously for any metal other than the s- and p-blocks of the periodic table of elements. Here, we have prepared pure niobium clusters and observed their reactions with CO under sufficient gas collision conditions. We find prominent inertness of Nb₁₂ ⁺, which survives CO attack. Comprehensive theoretical calculation results reveal that the inertness of Nb₁₂ ⁺ is associated with its cage structure and well-organized superatomic orbitals, giving rise t

SUBMITTER: Huang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10081918 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature