In a world-first, researchers have created a fullerene-like molecule composed entirely of metal atoms.
Synthesized by a team of chemists from China’s Nankai University, Nanjing Tech University and Shanxi University, alongside a colleague from the Universidad San Sebastián, Chile, the new molecule is made up of 12 gold and 20 antimony atoms that surround a single positively charged potassium cation in its center.
While the instability of this new metal complex could limit its direct practical applications, the researchers say that its synthesis could still provide valuable new insights into the bonding behavior of metal atoms.
The researchers have described their new discovery in a paper published in the journal Science.
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