Homocatenation of aluminum: alkane-like structures of Li2Al2H6 and Li3Al3H8.

A new class of aluminum homocatenated compounds (LinAlnH2n+2) is proposed based on quantum chemical calculations. In these compounds, Al abstracts an electron from Li, becoming valence isoelectronic with C, Si, and Ge, thus mimicking respective structural features of Group 14 hydrides. Using the Coalescence Kick search program coupled with density functional theory calculations, we investigated the potential energy surfaces of Li2Al2 H6 and Li3Al3H6 . Then single-point-energy coupled-cluster calculations were performed for the lowest energy structures found. Indeed, the global minima established for Li2 Al2 H6 and Li3 Al3 H6 contain the Al2 H6(2-) and Al3H6(3-) kernels, which are isostructural with ethane (C2H6), disilane (Si2H6), digermane (Ge2 H6) and propane (C3H8), trisilane (Si3H8), trigermane (Ge3H8) molecules, respectively. Structural, energetic, and electronic characteristics of the Li2 Al2 H6 and Li3 Al3 H8 compounds are presented and the viability of their synthesis is discussed.