First observation of a tetra-anionic metal cluster, Al(n)(4-)

J Chem Phys. 2010 Jan 7;132(1):014308. doi: 10.1063/1.3270153.

Abstract

The production of aluminum cluster tetra-anions, and thus the first observation of a tetra-anionic metal cluster in the gas-phase, is reported. The aluminum cluster polyanions were generated by use of the "electron-bath technique." The smallest tetra-anion observed was Al(215) (4-), containing 14% fewer atoms than expected from classical estimates of the tetra-anion appearance size.