Carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead
Abstract
Group 14 chemistry has continued strong with many exciting reports published in the calendar year 2005. The chemistry of this diverse Group is extremely varied but this year there has been a definite theme in many of the most interesting advances, that of cluster compounds. Amongst these, the new examples of silicon clusters, including one with a naked silicon atom and the advances in the chemistry of Zintl ion reactions are some of the most impressive. The first report of [Pt@Pb12]2−, covered here last year, has led to a flurry of related compounds, including [Ni3@(Ge9)2]2− which is the first example of the encapsulation of a linear cluster of three nickel atoms, where the two terminal nickel atoms are each held in different Ge9 clusters. Other prominent themes which continue to offer new fruit are those concerned with low