Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
08:21
Synthesis of In37P20(O2CR)51 Clusters and Their Conversion to InP Quantum Dots
Published on: May 7, 2019
Formation of indium carbide cluster ions: experimental and computational study
Jonathan Bernstein1, Eran Armon, Erez Zemel
1Schulich Faculty of Chemistry , Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|June 18, 2013
Summary
Researchers discovered new indium carbide cluster ions using C60 ion bombardment. These novel gas phase ions, particularly In3C2(+), were analyzed for their structures and abundance, revealing unique bonding characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Gas phase cluster ions are crucial for understanding material properties.
- Indium carbide clusters have not been extensively studied.
- Novel methods for generating and analyzing these clusters are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and structural properties of novel indium carbide cluster ions.
- To explore the potential of C60(-) ion bombardment as a method for producing these clusters.
- To determine the most abundant cluster ions and their bonding characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Bombardment of a clean indium surface with keV C60(-) ions.
- Mass spectrometric analysis of ejected positive In(m)C(n)(+) ions.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for structural optimization.
Main Results:
- Efficient production of novel gas phase indium carbide ions (In(m)C(n)(+)) with balanced stoichiometries.
- In3C2(+) identified as the most abundant carbide cluster ion.
- Evidence for acetylenic/cumulenic bonding in abundant ions like In2C2(+) and In3C2(+).
- Observed odd/even intensity alternations in In3C(n)(+) and In4C(n)(+) abundances explained by DFT.
Conclusions:
- C60(-) ion bombardment is an effective technique for generating indium carbide cluster ions.
- The study reveals unique structural and bonding properties of these novel clusters.
- DFT calculations provide valuable insights into cluster stability and bonding.
More Related Videos
![The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F54498.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
Related Concept Videos
02:48Ionic Bonding and Electron Transfer
Ions are atoms or molecules bearing an electrical charge. A cation (a positive ion) forms when a neutral atom loses one or more electrons from its valence shell, and an anion (a negative ion) forms when a neutral atom gains one or more electrons in its valence shell. Compounds composed of ions are called ionic compounds (or salts), and their constituent ions are held together by ionic bonds: electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged cations and anions.
02:42Valence Bond Theory
Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
02:37Metallic Solids
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
02:10Carbocations
Carbocations are one of the reaction intermediates formed during several nucleophilic substitutions or elimination reactions. A carbocation is an electron-deficient species with the central carbon atom having six electrons and three bonded atoms. The central carbon in a carbocation is sp2 hybridized with trigonal planar geometry. It has an empty p orbital perpendicular to the plane of the structure that can accept electrons. Thus, carbocations act as strong electrophiles and may react with any...
01:27Inductive Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview
The protons in unsubstituted alkanes are strongly shielded with chemical shifts below 1.8 ppm. Methine, methylene, and methyl protons appear at approximately 1.7, 1.2 and 0.7 ppm, while the proton signal from methane appears at 0.23 ppm. An electronegative substituent, such as chlorine, withdraws the electron density from the protons, increasing their chemical shift. Progressive substitution of the hydrogens in methane by chlorine shifts the proton signals increasingly downfield, to 3.05 ppm in...