The isolable matryoshka nesting doll icosahedral cluster [As@Ni12@As20]3− as a “superatom”: analogy with the jellium cluster Al13− generated in the gas phase by laser vaporization

Abstract

The valence electrons in the recently reported icosahedral cluster [As@Ni₁₂@As₂₀]³⁻ with a Russian matryoshka nesting doll structure can be partitioned so that the central As atom has the rare gas configuration, as As³⁻, and the intermediate Ni₁₂ icosahedron receives 40 electrons from the lone pairs of the outer As₂₀ dodecahedron to be isoelectronic with the Al₁₃⁻ jellium cluster found in molecular beam experiments.