Clever Coordination of Bismuth Atoms Allows Realization of Aromatic Three-Membered Metal Ring
Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Manchester, and Chinese institutions synthesized a stable aromatic three-membered ring composed of three bismuth atoms, the heaviest known example of such a structure. This inverse-sandwich complex, confirmed through X-ray crystallography and magnetic measurements, advances understanding of aromaticity in heavy elements and could enable new functional materials like intermetallic compounds or catalysts.
An international research team, led by Professor Stefanie Dehnen of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has created a stable aromatic molecule consisting of three bismuth atoms arranged in a triangular ring. This structure, the heaviest known aromatic three-membered ring, was stabilized within an inverse-sandwich complex by trapping it between uranium or thorium atoms. The discovery, published in *Nature Chemistry*, marks a breakthrough in all-metal aromaticity, a field previously dominated by organic carbon-based compounds like benzene. The team confirmed the ring’s symmetric triangular shape using X-ray crystallography and detected magnetically induced ring currents through spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations. These currents, which stabilize the bismuth ring, demonstrate that aromatic properties extend beyond traditional organic chemistry into heavy-metal clusters. Collaborators from the University of Manchester and Chinese research institutions contributed to the study, with KIT providing bismuth compounds and computational analysis of bonding conditions. Professor Florian Weigend, head of KIT’s Molecular Quantum Systems research group, emphasized that the work bridges organic chemistry and metallic semiconductor chemistry. The findings suggest potential applications in nanotechnology, energy tech, and catalysis, particularly in developing intermetallic compounds or nano-scale semiconductor components. The research aligns with the HEiKA STAR – DEUsAroMet project, an interdisciplinary effort to explore all-metal aromatic compounds for practical uses. Dehnen noted that aromatic molecules, long studied in organic chemistry, can also form with nonmetal or metal-organic combinations. This study expands that understanding to heavy elements, offering new avenues for material science. The inverse-sandwich complex’s stability and unique properties could inspire further experiments in heavy-metal aromaticity and its technological applications.
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