Metallo-Carbohedrenes [M8C12+ (M = V, Zr, Hf, and Ti)]: A Class of Stable Molecular Cluster Ions.

Findings of magic peaks corresponding to M(8)C(12)(+) (M = V, Zr, and Hf) formed from reactions of the respective metals with various small hydrocarbons, in conjunction with recent findings for the titanium system, establish metallo-carbohedrenes as a stable general class of molecular cluster ions. A dodecahedral structure of T(h) point symmetry accounts for the stability of these ionic clusters.