Interpenetrating As 20 Fullerene and Ni 12 Icosahedra in the Onion-Skin [As@Ni 12 @As 20 ] 3– Ion

Abstract

The [As@Ni 12 @As 20 ] 3– ion was prepared from As 7 3– and Ni(COD) 2 in ethylenediamine solutions and isolated as the Bu 4 P + salt (As, arsenic; Ni, nickel; COD, cyclooctadiene; Bu, butyl; P, phosphorus). The anion contains an icosahedral [Ni 12 (μ 12 -As)] 3– fragment that resides at the center of an As 20 dodecahedral (fullerene) cage to give an onion-skin–like [As@Ni 12 @As 20 ] 3– cluster with I h point symmetry. The icosahedron and pentagonal dodecahedron are reciprocal platonic solids, and the 32 surface atoms form a dimpled geodesic sphere composed of 60 triangular faces. In the gas phase, the [As@Ni 12 @As 20 ] 3– ion sequentiallyloses all 21 As atoms to form a series of Ni 12 As 21– x clusters where 0 ≤ x ≤ 21, inclusively.