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Updated: May 28, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Anions of xenon clusters bound by long-range electron correlations
Victor G Bezchastnov1, Victor P Vysotskiy, Lorenz S Cederbaum
1Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, INF, Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
In contrast with the single atom, atomic van der Waals clusters can form stable anions where the excess electron is bound due to long-range correlations with the electrons of the cluster. We report on extensive all-electron many-body ab initio studies on Xe clusters. Three-dimensional, planar, and linear structures of the clusters are investigated and compared. In particular, we find that the minimal number of Xe atoms in the cluster required to form a stable anion is 5 independently of the dimensionality of the cluster. We provide electron affinities for clusters made of 5, 6, and 7 atoms in all dimensions and find that the planar clusters form the most stable anions. The Dyson orbitals of the excess electrons are computed and analyzed.
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Noble Gases
The elements in group 18 are noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon). They earned the name “noble” because they were assumed to be nonreactive since they have filled valence shells. In 1962, Dr. Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia proved this assumption to be false.
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