Cadmium mediated aggregation of spherical-planar and spherical-spherical aromatic lead-based clusters towards extended cluster materials

Abstract

Spherical and planar aromatic structures are relevant building units for forming cluster-based materials. [Pb₉CdCdPb₉]⁶⁻ and [Pb₉CdPh]³⁻ species, appears as prototypical aggregates combining spherical-spherical and spherical-planar aromatic units, based on the spherical aromatic [Pb₉]⁴⁻ Zintl-ion cluster and planar aromatic -Ph. Our results expose the inherent aromatic characteristics of the parent units to be retained at the overall aggregate, featuring the interplay between enabled shielding cones from adjacent aromatic states. For [Pb₉CdCdPb₉]⁶⁻, a sizably enhance of the common shielding regions is obtained. Thus, further explorative synthesis efforts can be rationally designed and conceived from well-defined spherical and planar aromatic units in the quest for novel materials based on Zintl-ions clusters.