title: The formation of a metalloid Sn(10)[Si(SiMe(3))(3)](6) cluster compound and its relation to the alpha<-->beta tin phase transition.
abstract: Very recently it was shown that Sn monohalides can be prepared in preparative scale applying a preparative co-condensation technique. Here, a first reaction of Sn(i)Br is presented leading to the metalloid cluster compound Sn(10)[Si(SiMe(3))(3)](6) 1. This reaction can be seen as a first step to metalloid cluster compounds applying the disproportionation reaction of a metastable Sn monohalide. The ten tin atoms in 1 are arranged in the form of a centaur polyhedron, representing a novel structural motif in tin chemistry. The structural and electronic properties of 1 and its relation to the phase transition alpha<-->beta tin are discussed with the aid of quantum chemical calculations as well as (119)Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische Chemie der Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Engesserstrasse, Geb. 30.45, D-76128, Karlsruhe.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schrenk
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schellenberg
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pöttgen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schnepf
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D044367:Phase Transition; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D014001:Tin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014001:Tin; D012825:Silicon