Al4H7(-) is a resilient building block for aluminum hydrogen cluster materials.

Roach, P J; Reber, A C; Woodward, W H; Khanna, S N; Castleman, A W · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2007

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

The formation and oxygen etching of Al(n)H(m)(-) clusters are characterized in a flow reactor experiment with first-principles theoretical investigations to demonstrate the exceptional stability of Al(4)H(7)(-). The origin of the preponderance of Al(4)H(7)(-) in the mass spectra of hydrogenated aluminum anions and its resistance to O(2) etching are discussed. Al(4)H(7)(-) is shown to have the ability to bond with ionic partners to form stable hydrides through addition of an alkali atom [XAl(4)H(7) (X = Li-Cs)]. An intuitive model that can predict the existence of stable hydrogenated cluster species is proposed. The potential synthetic utility of the superatom assemblies built on these units is addressed.

Medical subject headings