An all-metal fullerene: [K@Au12Sb20]5−

Yu He Xu, Wen Juan Tian, Alvaro Muñoz-Castro, Gernot Frenking, Zhong Ming Sun

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The C60 fullerene molecule has attracted tremendous interest for its distinctive nearly spherical structure. By contrast, all-metal counterparts have been elusive: Fullerene-like clusters composed of noncarbon elements typically suffer from instability, resulting in more compact geometries that require multiple embedded atoms or external ligands for stabilization. In this work, we present the synthesis of an all-metal fullerene cluster, [K@Au12Sb20]5−, using a wet-chemistry method. The cluster's structure was determined by single crystal x-ray diffraction, which revealed a fullerene framework consisting of 20 antimony atoms. Theoretical calculations further indicate that this distinct cluster exhibits aromatic behavior.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)840-843
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume382
Issue number6672
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Nov 2023

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