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Updated: Nov 11, 2025

Synthesis of Nine-atom Deltahedral Zintl Ions of Germanium and their Functionalization with Organic Groups
Published on: February 11, 2012
Zintl Lewis Superacids: Al(Ge9L3)3 (L = H, CH3, CHO, CN)
Ricardo Inostroza-Rivera1, Rakesh Parida2, Sachin Nambiar2,3
1Departamento Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenana, 4860 Macul, Chile.
Abstract:
In quest of a Zintl ion-based Lewis superacids, Al(Ge9L3)3 {L= H, CH3, CHO and CN} compounds have been designed and their properties have been studied within the framework of conceptual density functional theory-based reactivity descriptors. Superacid property has been identified for these complexes as per the fluoride ion affinity (FIA) values. Studies reveal that Al[Ge9(CN)3]3 and Al[Ge9(CH3)3]3 behave like superacids as their FIA exceeds the value of SbF5, which is considered as the strongest Lewis acid. It has been observed that the ligand plays an important role in reactivity as well as in Lewis acidic property.
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