title: The B32 cluster has the most stable bowl structure with a remarkable heptagonal hole.
abstract: The neutral B32 exhibits an aromatic bowl structure containing one heptagonal hole, while two anionic species, one having a bowl structure and the other a quasi-planar structure, are almost degenerate in energy. These findings not only give more insight into the structural features of boron clusters, but also present a key result explaining the presence of heptagonal holes in the fullerene B40.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. truong.batai@chem.kuleuven.be minh.nguyen@chem.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Truong Ba
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Minh Tho
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nguyen