The Color of the Elements: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Electron Density Study of ScB₂ C₂

The chemical or physical control parameters for the onset of superconductivity in MB₂ C₂ hetero-graphene materials are unclear. This is mainly due to the almost ubiquitous positional B/C disorder, rendering the description of real structures of borocarbides into one of the most challenging problems in materials science. We will show that high-resolution X-ray diffraction data provides all the essential information to decode even complex coloring problems due to B/C disorder. Electron density studies and subsequent analyses of the fine structure of the Laplacian of the electron density resolves the local electronic structure of ScB₂ C₂ at sub-atomic resolution and allows for an unequivocal identification of all atoms involved in the coloring scenario. This information could finally be used to identify the electron deficient character of the B/C layers in ScB₂ C₂ and to synthesize the first bimetallic hetero-metallocene with lithium and scandium atoms embedded in the pentagonal and heptagonal voids, respectively.