title: Alkali-metal-supported bismuth polyhedra-principles and theoretical studies.
abstract: We have quantum chemically investigated the structure, stability, and bonding mechanism in highly aggregated alkali-metal salts of bismuthanediide anions [RBi](2-) using relativistic density functional theory (DFT, at ZORA-BP86/TZ2P) in combination with a quantitative energy decomposition analysis (EDA). Our model systems are alkali-metal-supported bismuth polyhedra [(RBi)(n)M(2n-4)](4-) with unique interpenetrating shells of a bismuth polyhedron and an alkali-metal superpolyhedron. Furthermore, we have analyzed the trianionic inclusion complexes [M'@{(RBi)(n)M(2n-4)}](3-) involving an additional endohedral alkali-metal ion M'. The main objective is to assist the further development of synthetic approaches toward this class of compounds. Our analyses led to electron-counting rules relating, for example, the number of bonding orbitals (N(bond)) of the cage molecules [(RBi)(n)M(2n+Q)](Q) to the number of bismuth atoms (n(Bi)), alkali-metal atoms (n(M)), and net charge Q as N(bond) = n(Bi) + n(M) - Q (R = one-electron donor ligand; M = alkali metal; n = 4-12; Q = -4, -6, -8). Finally, on the basis of our findings, we predict the next members in the 5-fold symmetrical row of alkali-metallobismaspheres with a macroicosahedral arrangement.
authors: Anorganisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Kirill Yu
authors: KY
authors: Monakhov
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Linti
authors: Lando P
authors: LP
authors: Wolters
authors: F Matthias
authors: FM
authors: Bickelhaupt