Ionization energies of hyperlithiated and electronically segregated isomers of Lin(OH)n−1 (n=2–5) clusters

Recent Progress on the Design, Characterization, and Application of Superalkalis

Superalkalis are clusters or molecules featuring lower ionization energies (IEs) than that of cesium atoms, and thus exhibit excellent reducing properties. Such special species have great potential to be used in the synthesis of unusual charge-transfer salts and cluster-assembled nanomaterials with tailored properties, in the reduction of carbon dioxide, or as hydrogen storage materials and noble-gas-trapping agents, etc. In this regard, ongoing efforts have been devoted to designing and characterizing superalkalis of new types. The recent progress on the study of superalkalis in terms of theoretical design, characterization, and potential application is summarized in this minireview. We hope this review will not only provide a broad overview of this research field, but also highlight the prospect of further extending the experimental synthesis and practical application of superalkalis.

Attaching an alkali metal atom to an alkaline earth metal oxide (BeO, MgO, or CaO) yields a triatomic metal oxide with reduced ionization potential and redirected polarity

The existence of a series of neutral triatomic metal oxides MON and their corresponding cations MON (+) (M = Be, Mg, Ca; N = Li, Na, K) was postulated and verified theoretically using ab initio methods at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df)//MP2/6-311+G(3df) level of theory. The calculations revealed that the vertical ionization potentials (IPs) of the MON radicals (calculated using the outer-valence Green's function technique (OVGF) with the 6-311+G(3df) basis set) were ca. 2-3 eV smaller than the IPs of the corresponding MO and NO systems or that of the isolated M atom. Population analysis of the neutral triatomic MON molecules and their corresponding MO counterparts indicated that the attachment of an alkali metal atom to any oxide MO (BeO, MgO, CaO) reverses its polarity, which manifests itself as the redirection of the dipole moment vector.

SUPERALKALI MOLECULES CONTAINING HALOGENOIDS

The structure and properties of hypermetalated Li 2X and Na 2X and their corresponding Li 2X+ and Na 2X+ cations utilizing halogenoids X (SCN, OCN, and CN) were investigated using ab initio methods at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df)//MP2/6-311+G(d) level of theory. The vertical ionization potentials of Li 2X and Na 2X radicals were calculated at the outer valence Green function level (OVGF) with the 6-311+G(3df) basis sets. It was found that all Na 2X molecules studied possess the vertical ionization potentials (VIP) that are smaller than the IP of the Na atom (5.14 eV) and thus may be termed superalkali molecules, whereas the Li 2X radicals exhibit slightly larger IPs. The smallest VIP of 4.728 eV was calculated for the Na 2 CN system. The IP dependence on the structure and the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) character is also discussed.