title: Al4H7(-) is a resilient building block for aluminum hydrogen cluster materials.
abstract: The formation and oxygen etching of Al(n)H(m)(-) clusters are characterized in a flow reactor experiment with first-principles theoretical investigations to demonstrate the exceptional stability of Al(4)H(7)(-). The origin of the preponderance of Al(4)H(7)(-) in the mass spectra of hydrogenated aluminum anions and its resistance to O(2) etching are discussed. Al(4)H(7)(-) is shown to have the ability to bond with ionic partners to form stable hydrides through addition of an alkali atom [XAl(4)H(7) (X = Li-Cs)]. An intuitive model that can predict the existence of stable hydrogenated cluster species is proposed. The potential synthetic utility of the superatom assemblies built on these units is addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Roach
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Reber
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Castleman
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006371:Helium / Q000737:chemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D014835:Volatilization