Abstract
AbstractThe cover picture shows in the centre the metalloid cluster anion {Ge9[Si(SiMe3)3]3}– (1) that is transferred intact from the solution into the gas phase through the mild electro spray method. Subsequently the fragmentation of single molecules of 1 after resonant excitation and collision with argon atoms (lower side), as well as the oxidation reaction with O2 and Cl2 (upper side) are investigated in the ICR cell of an FT‐ICR mass spectrometer (Fourier transform ion cyclotron). The reductive elimination of the ligands finally leads to Zintl‐like cluster species (lower side: Ge9– (left); Ge9Si– (right)) exhibiting a negative average oxidation state of the group 14 element. Thus these single molecule experiments show for the first time the transition from metalloid clusters to Zintl‐ions. DFT calculations additionally show that the delocalized bonding situation within the Ge9 core of 1 is strongly distorted upon oxidation. This behavior is in contrast to that of similar Zintl‐Ions. More details are discussed in the article by A. Schnepf et al. on page 1173ff.
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