Abstract
We report on the electronic structure of Ge9[Si(SiMe3)3]3−. Systematic density functional theory analysis of the electronic shell structure of the cluster and its derivatives reveals that the Ge9[Si(SiMe3)3]3− and its neutral counterpart have electronic shells that can be explained using the superatom model. The ligand–core interaction of these complexes is distinctly different from previously identified gold, gallium, and aluminium superatom complexes, indicating an electron-donating rather than electron-withdrawing
- This article is part of the themed collection: Structure and reactivity of small particles: from clusters to aerosols