More Like this

1. Photoelectron imaging of cryogenically cooled BiO ⁻ and BiO ₂ ⁻ anions

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0127877  

   Kocheril, G. Stephen; Gao, Han-Wen; Yuan, Dao-Fu; Wang, Lai-Sheng (November 2022, The Journal of Chemical Physics)

   The advent of ion traps as cooling devices has revolutionized ion spectroscopy as it is now possible to efficiently cool ions vibrationally and rotationally to levels where truly high-resolution experiments are now feasible. Here, we report the first results of a new experimental apparatus that couples a cryogenic 3D Paul trap with a laser vaporization cluster source for high-resolution photoelectron imaging of cold cluster anions. We have demonstrated the ability of the new apparatus to efficiently cool BiO − and BiO 2 − to minimize vibrational hot bands and allow high-resolution photoelectron images to be obtained. The electron affinities of BiO and BiO 2 are measured accurately for the first time to be 1.492(1) and 3.281(1) eV, respectively. Vibrational frequencies for the ground states of BiO and BiO 2 , as well as those for the anions determined from temperature-dependent studies, are reported. 

   more » « less
2. Probing copper-boron interactions in the Cu ₂ B ₈ ⁻ bimetallic cluster

   https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001833  

   Kulichenko, Maksim; Chen, Wei-Jia; Choi, Hyun Wook; Yuan, Dao-Fu; Boldyrev, Alexander I.; Wang, Lai-Sheng (July 2022, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A)

   Borophenes are atom-thin boron layers that can be grown on coinage metal substrates and have become an important class of synthetic 2D nanomaterials. The interactions between boron and substrates are critical to understand the growth mechanisms of borophenes. Here, we report an investigation of copper-boron interactions in the Cu 2 B 8 − bimetallic cluster using photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Well-resolved photoelectron spectra are obtained at several photon energies and are combined with theoretical calculations to elucidate the structures and bonding of Cu 2 B 8 − . Global minimum searches reveal that Cu 2 B 8 − consists of a Cu 2 dimer atop a B 8 molecular wheel with a long Cu–Cu bond length close to that in Cu 2 + . Chemical bonding analyses indicate that there is clear charge transfer from Cu 2 to B 8 , and the Cu 2 B 8 − cluster can be viewed as a [Cu 2 + ]-borozene complex, [Cu 2 + ][B 8 2– ]. In the neutral cluster, no Cu–Cu bond exists and Cu 2 B 8 consists of two Cu + centers interacting with doubly aromatic B 8 2− borozene. The charge transfer interactions between Cu and boron in the Cu 2 B 8 − cluster are analogous to charge transfer from the copper substrate to the first borophene layer recently reported to be critical in the growth of bilayer borophenes on a Cu(111) substrate. 

   more » « less
3. Na[Tc(CO)(CN p -F-Ar ^DArF2 ) ₄ ]: an isocyanide analogue of the elusive Na[Tc(CO) ₅ ]

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cc00946g  

   Salsi, Federico; Hagenbach, Adelheid; Figueroa, Joshua S; Abram, Ulrich (March 2023, Chemical Communications)

   Structure, spectroscopic data and reactivity of the first isolated technetium(-1) compound, stabilized by a sterically encumbered isocyanide, are provided. 

   more » « less
4. Crystal structure of the [(THF)Cs(μ-η ⁵ :η ⁵ -Cp′) ₃ Yb] _n oligomer

   https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989020008051  

   Huh, Daniel N.; Ziller, Joseph W.; Evans, William J. (July 2020, Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   The green compound poly[(tetrahydrofuran)tris[μ-η 5 :η 5 -1-(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadienyl]caesium(I)ytterbium(II)], [CsYb(C 8 H 13 Si) 3 (C 4 H 8 O)] n or [(THF)Cs(μ-η 5 :η 5 -Cp′) 3 Yb II ] n was synthesized by reduction of a red THF solution of (C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 ) 3 Yb III with excess Cs metal and identified by X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes as a two-dimensional array of hexagons with alternating Cs I and Yb II ions at the vertices and cyclopentadienyl groups bridging each edge. This, based off the six-electron cyclopentadienyl rings occupying three coordination positions, gives a formally nine-coordinate tris(cyclopentadienyl) coordination environment to Yb and the Cs is ten-coordinate due to the three cyclopentadienyl rings and a coordinated molecule of THF. The complex comprises layers of Cs 3 Yb 3 hexagons with THF ligands and Me 3 Si groups in between the layers. The Yb—C metrical parameters are consistent with a 4 f 14 Yb II electron configuration. 

   more » « less
5. “Bottled” spiro-doubly aromatic trinuclear [Pd ₂ Ru] ⁺ complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC04469E  

   Kulichenko, Maksim; Fedik, Nikita; Monfredini, Anna; Muñoz-Castro, Alvaro; Balestri, Davide; Boldyrev, Alexander I.; Maestri, Giovanni (January 2021, Chemical Science)

   null (Ed.)

   Following an ongoing interest in the study of transition metal complexes with exotic bonding networks, we report herein the synthesis of a family of heterobimetallic triangular clusters involving Ru and Pd atoms. These are the first examples of trinuclear complexes combining these nuclei. Structural and bonding analyses revealed both analogies and unexpected differences for these [Pd 2 Ru] + complexes compared to their parent [Pd 3 ] + peers. Noticeably, participation of the Ru atom in the π-aromaticity of the coordinated benzene ring makes the synthesized compound the second reported example of ‘bottled’ double aromaticity. This can also be referred to as spiroaromaticity due to the participation of Ru in two aromatic systems at a time. Moreover, the [Pd 2 Ru] + kernel exhibits unprecedented orbital overlap of Ru d z2 AO and two Pd d xy or d x2−y2 AOs. The present findings reveal the possibility of synthesizing stable clusters with delocalized metal–metal bonding from the combination of non-adjacent elements of the periodic table which has not been reported previously. 

   more » « less