1. Characterization of Stannaspherene and Endohedral Stannaspherene
Lai-Sheng Wang, Department of Physics, Washington State University 2710 University Drive, Richland, WA 99354
Stannaspherene and endohedral stannaspherenes: Stannaspherene refers to a highly stable and symmetric 12-atom tin cluster, Sn122-, which has been discovered in our lab previously in cluster beam experiments. It has been found that stannaspherene can trap transition metals to form a new class of endohedral clusters.
Sn122- (1Ag, Ih)
(1Ag, Ih)
(2A1g, D5d)
(3A’’, Cs)
We aim to prepare new materials based on stannaspherene or endohedral stannaspherenes in crystalline forms and characterize them in the bulk, as well as in the gas phase. In our first attempt, we crystallized a cluster, which can be viewed as the fusion of two endohedral stannaspherenes. We have plans to extend this work to germanium clusters. Although Ge122- (germaspherene) is not a stable cage cluster, we expect that the doping of a transition metal may stabilize it to give a class of endohedral germaspherenes, which are being examined.