Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 Thin Films
Published on: May 11, 2019
Molecular structures of magnesium dichloride sheets and nanoballs
Tommi N P Luhtanen1, Mikko Linnolahti, Tapani A Pakkanen
1Department of Chemistry, University of Joensuu, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland.
Abstract:
The structures and relative stabilities of (MgCl(2))(n)() sheetlike clusters and nanoballs were studied by quantum chemical methods. The sheets as discrete molecules were studied up to Mg(100)Cl(200). Their stabilities increase systematically as a function of the size of the sheet. Periodic ab initio calculations were performed for (001) monolayer sheets of alpha- and beta-MgCl(2), beta-sheet being slightly favored. Nanoballs were constructed from Archimedean polyhedra, producing tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral symmetries, and were studied up to Mg(60)Cl(120). Nanoballs prefer to take the shape of truncated cuboctahedron (Mg(48)Cl(96)). Comparisons to sheetlike clusters and periodic calculations suggest that magnesium dichloride nanoballs are stable.
Related Concept Videos
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Molecular Models
Predicting Molecular Geometry
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Ionic Bonding and Electron Transfer

