Planar Hexacoordinate Carbons: Half Covalent, Half Ionic.

Herein, the first global minima containing a planar hexacoordinate carbon (phC) atom are reported. The fifteen structures belong to the CE3 M3 + (E=S-Te and M=Li-Cs) series and satisfy both geometric and electronic criteria to be considered as a true phC. The design strategy consisted of replacing oxygen in the D3h  CO3 Li3 + structure with heavy and less electronegative chalcogens, inducing a negative charge on the C atom and an attractive electrostatic interaction between C and the alkali-metal cations. The chemical bonding analyses indicate that carbon is covalently bonded to three chalcogens and ionically connected to the three alkali metals.