Localized versus delocalized bonding in the K5Bi4 metallic salt

[Bi7M3(CO)3]2− (M = Co, Rh): a new architype of 10-vertex deltahedral hybrids by the unprecedented polycyclic η5-coordination addition of Bi73− and trimetallic fragments

A new prototype of 10-vertex deltahedral clusters, [Bi₇M₃(CO)₃]²⁻ (M = Co, 1a; M = Rh, 2a), have been synthesized and characterized, resulting from the unprecedented polycyclic η⁵-coordination addition of a Bi₇³⁻ cage and trimetallic fragments.

Electronic structure of the A(8)Tr(11) (A = K, Rb, Cs; Tr = Ga, In, Tl) Zintl phases: possible chemical reasons behind their activated versus non activated conductivity

The electronic structure of the A(8)Tr(11) (A = K, Cs; Tr = Ga, In, Tl) Zintl phases has been studied by means of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is shown that the hypoelectronic Tr(11) cluster in these phases must be considered as Tr(11)(8-) even if it would require just a 7- charge to maximize its bonding, filling all its bonding and nonbonding levels. Our calculations show that the lowest empty orbital of the isolated Tr(11)(7-) clusters is an a(1)-type orbital. However, a degenerate e-type set of orbitals is higher but quite close in the case of the Ga(11)(7-) clusters. Thus, for the isolated Tr(11)(8-) clusters, the extra electron occupies always an a(1)-type antibonding orbital that contains, however, some Tr-Tr bonding component thus leading to a weak global antibonding character. In the solid, cluster-alkali-metal bonding interactions occur and spread the cluster levels into bands, but the extra electron still fills the a(1)-type cluster level for most of the A(8)Tr(11) phases. The cluster-alkali-metal interactions have a minor role in stabilizing this orbital but they provide the necessary delocalization to lead to the metallic character of these phases. In contrast, the e-type antibonding levels of the Ga(11)(7-) isolated cluster are those which become filled by the extra electron in the Cs(8)Ga(11) solid. This phase should be metallic, but occupation of this degenerate pair of cluster levels would lead to a structural instability that may be avoided by reducing the interactions of the alkali-metal atoms with the cluster levels. In that way the occupation appropriate for the isolated cluster is restored (i.e., one electron fills the a(1) cluster orbital), but the extra electron now remains localized on the cluster, thus leading to the unexpected activated conductivity observed for the Cs(8)Ga(11) phase.

M2Ba2Sn6 (M =Yb, Ca): Metallic Zintl Phases with a Novel Tin Chain Substructure

The compounds M2Ba2Sn6 (M = Yb, Ca) have been synthesized by solid-state reactions in welded Ta tubes at high temperature. Their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies to be orthorhombic; space group Cmca (No. 64); Z = 8; a = 15.871(3), 15.912 (3) A; b = 9.387(2), 9.497(2) A; c = 17.212(3), 17.184(3) A; and V = 2564.3(9), 2597.0(9) A3, respectively. These contain infinite tin chains along constructed from butterflylike 3-bonded Sn tetramers interconnected by pairs of 2-bonded Sn. The chains are further interconnected into corrugated layers by somewhat longer Sn-Sn bonds along c. The compounds with the chains alone would be Zintl phases, but the interchain bonding makes them formally one-electron rich per formula unit. The electronic structures calculated by extended Hückel and TB-LMTO-ASA methods indicate that these compounds are metallic but with a deep pseudogap at the Fermi level. States that bind the extra electrons lie just below EF and involve important Yb(Ca)-Sn contributions. The origin of metallic Zintl phases is briefly discussed.

Concerning the Different Roles of Cations in Metallic Zintl Phases: Ba7Ga4Sb9 as a Test Case

The question of the different roles of cations in metallic Zintl phases has been examined by taking Ba7Ga4Sb9, an electron-rich phase, as a test case. The electronic structure of this solid has been studied by means of a first-principles density functional theory approach and, indeed, the different Ba atoms are found to play very different roles in determining the structural and transport properties of this phase. It is also found that Ba7Ga4Sb9 should be an anisotropic metal with both one- and three-dimensional contributions to the Fermi surface so that the system could exhibit a potentially very interesting physical behavior while keeping the metallic properties down to very low temperatures. Suggestions in order to modify the band filling and the physical properties are examined. Although isostructural electron-precise phases may be envisioned, it is predicted that they would be essentially three-dimensional metals.

Electronic Structures of KNa3In9 and Na2In, Two Metallic Phases with Classical Closed-Shell Electronic Configurations

The cluster compounds KNa3In9 [K2Na6(In12)(In)6] and Na2In [(Na)8(In4)], which contain In12 icosahedra interbridged by 4-bonded In atoms and isolated In4 tetrahedra, respectively, both have classical closed-shell electronic configurations but show metallic transport properties. These contrasts have been studied by means of first-principles density functional methods (LMTO-ASA). Several bands cross the Fermi level in both compounds, consistent with their metallic properties. In KNa3In9, the metal atom framework alone is sufficient to generate a metallic characteristic. The alkali-metal s and indium p orbitals mix considerably in both phases, providing for substantial covalent contributions to their stabilities as well as bands crossing Ef. The participation of Na atoms in the 3D bonding networks is more striking in cation-richer Na2In than in KNa3In9.

Participation of Sodium in the Bonding of Anionic Networks: Synthesis, Structure, and Bonding of Na3MIn2 (M = Au, Ag)

Two isostructural compounds Na(3)MIn(2) (M = Au, Ag) with a NiTi(2)-type structure (Fd-3m) were synthesized via typical high-temperature reactions. The anionic M-In structure consists of tetrahedral star building units [In(4)M(4/2)] (TS) that are connected into a three-dimensional framework via shared TS vertexes, with the Na atoms filling the cages. On the basis of TB-LMTO-ASA calculations, the electronic structures of both compounds show substantial participation of sodium in the overall bonding of the structure. Compared with the Ag compound, relativistic effects in the Au phase appear to be significant, as shown in the M-M and M-Na bond length decreases of 0.03-0.04 A.

Importance of cations in the properties of Zintl phases: the electronic structure of and bonding in metallic Na6TlSb41

The novel metallic compound Na(6)TlSb(4) consists of four-membered TlSb(3) rings joined by pairs of Sb atoms into Tl(2)Sb(8) units, the last of which is further interconnected into 1D anionic chains via Tl-Tl bonds. The contrast of its metallic conductivity with that of the 2 - e(-) poorer, electron precise, and semiconducting Zintl phase K(6)Tl(2)Sb(3), which has virtually the same anionic network, has been investigated by ab initio LMTO-DFT methods. Sodium ion participation is found to be appreciable in the (largely) Sb p valence band and especially significant in an additional low-lying conduction band generated by antimony ppi and sodium orbitals. The one pyramidal 3-bonded Sb atom appears to be largely responsible for the interchain conduction process. The substitution of one Tl by Sb, which occurs when the countercation is changed from potassium in K(6)Tl(2)Sb(3) to sodium, yielding only Na(6)TlSb(4), is driven by a distinctly tighter packing, a corresponding increase in the Madelung energy, and binding of the excess pair of electrons in the new conduction band.

Electronic Structure of the K3Bi2 Metallic Phase

The electronic structure of K3Bi2 is discussed on the basis of first-principles DFT calculations. It is shown that the dimers are formally (Bi2)3-, even though this might seem to be in contradiction with the metallic character of the salt. The apparent puzzle is explained by the sizable participation of the K levels in the bonding.

Electronic structure of Li2Ga and Li9Al4, two solids containing infinite and uniform zigzag chains

The electronic structure of inorganic solids such as Li(2)Ga and Li(9)Al(4) containing infinite zigzag homoatomic chains is discussed. It is shown that Li(2)Ga, a solid for which a Zintl-type electron-counting approach would suggest that a half-filled pi-type band occurs as in trans-polyacetylene, is really a three-dimensional solid with strong covalent interchain connections and small effective charge transfer. The zigzag chains do not play a dominant role as far as the electronic structure near the Fermi level is concerned, and there is no reason for the occurrence of a Peierls distortion despite the possible analogy with trans-polyacetylene. It is suggested that even assuming that a Zintl-type approach is appropriate for electron counting purposes, the infinite zigzag chains in this compound and those in trans-polyacetylene are not isolobal. The bonding in Li(9)Al(4) and Li(2)Ga is very similar, and both phases are predicted to be stable three-dimensional metals.