Perfect Core‐Shell Octahedral B@B₃₈⁺, Be@B₃₈, and Zn@B₃₈ with an Octa‐Coordinate Center as Superatoms Following the Octet Rule

Abstract

Planar, tubular, cage-like, and bilayer boron clusters B n + /0/À (n = 3 ~48) have been observed in joint experimental and theoretical investigations in the past two decades. Based on extensive global searches augmented with first-principles theory calculations, we predict herein the smallest perfect core-shell octahedral borospherene O h B@B 38 + (1) and its endohedral metallo-borospherene analogs O h Be@B 38 (2), and O h Zn@B 38 (3) which, with an octa-coordinate B, Be or Zn atom located exactly at the center, turn out to be the well-defined global minima of the systems highly stable both thermodynamically and dynamically. B@B 38 + (1) represents the first boron-containing molecule reported to date which contains an octa-coordinate B center covalently coordinated by eight face-capping boron atoms at the corners of a perfect cube in the first coordination sphere. Detailed natural bonding orbital (NBO) and adaptive natural density partitioning (AdNDP) bonding analyses indicate that these high-symmetry core-shell complexes X@B 38 + /0/À (X = B, Be, Zn) as super-noble gas atoms follow the octet rule in coordination bonding patterns (1S 2 1P 6 ), with one delocalized 9c-2e S-type coordination bond and three delocalized 39c-2e P-type coordination bonds formed between the octa-coordinate X center and its octahedral O h B 38 ligand to effectively stabilize the systems. Their IR, Raman, and UV-Vis spectra are computationally simulated to facilitate their spectroscopic characterizations.

Insights into ThB40: Stability, Electronic Structure, and Interaction

“…This study provided an opportunity to study the nonmetal-boron and metal-boron interactions based on metalloborospherenes. For example, Li et al theoretically studied the Be-B and Zn-B interactions based on their core-shell octahedral structure [40], and the interaction between boron atoms and transition metal atoms (Sc, Ti, and V atoms) based on transition metal-centered endohedral seashell-like metalloborospherenes [41]. Clearly, previous reports have successfully conducted theoretical studies on the interaction between boron and main group atoms, as well as transition metal atoms [41].…”