title: Small tin cluster anions: transition from quasispherical to prolate structures.
abstract: The structures and energetics of small tin cluster Sn(n)(-) anions up to n=15 were determined by a combination of density-functional theory and three different experimental methods: Ion mobility spectrometry, trapped ion electron diffraction, and collision induced dissociation. We find compact, quasispherical structures up to n=12. Sn(12)(-) is a slightly distorted hollow icosahedron while Sn(13)(-) to Sn(15)(-) have prolate structures, consisting of merged, hollow, in part incomplete, deltahedral subunits: Sn(13)(-) consists of a face-sharing pentagonal bipyramid and tricapped trigonal bipyramid, Sn(14)(-) comprises a face-sharing dicapped trigonal prism and capped square-antiprism, and Sn(15)(-) consists of two face-sharing tricapped trigonal prisms.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Karlsruhe, Kaiserstr. 12, 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oger
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelting
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lechtken
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schooss
authors.forename: Nathan R M
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Reinhart
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahlrichs
authors.forename: Manfred M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kappes