Evidence from ion chromatography experiments that met-cars are hollow cage clusters

Ion chromatography studies were performed to assess various models proposed for the structure of M(8)C(12) species, the met-cars. A laser desorption source was used to make a sequence of titanium-carbon clusters centered around Ti(8)C(12)(+). The Ti(8)C(12)(+) was determined to be a hollow cage cluster, with the dodechadron structure originally propposed termined to be a hollow cage cluster, with the dodecahedron structure originally proposed giving the best fit to experiment; cubic structures could be excluded. Collisional breakup of Ti(8)C(12)(+) yielded only Ti(7)C(12)(+) under the experimental conditions described herein, and modeling indicated that the cage structure was retained. Both Ti(8)C(11)(+) and Ti(8)C(13)(+) were made by the cluster source, and again, dodecahedral-type cage structures were consistent with experiment. The extra carbon atom in Ti(8)C(13)(+) was attached exohedrally to a single titanium atom. No evidence for an endohedral species was found.