Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have successfully synthesized and stabilized a Bi₅⁻ ring—a molecule composed of five bismuth atoms—within a metal complex. This achievement fills a key gap in chemical research and opens new possibilities for applications in materials science, catalysis, and electronics. The study has been published in Nature Chemistry.
“By synthesizing the Bi5–ring, we’ve answered a long-standing question of basic research. In the future, this molecule could play an important role in the development of new materials and chemical processes,” said Professor Stefanie Dehnen from KIT’s Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, where she heads the cluster-based materials research group.
According to Dehnen, it is of particular interest that the Bi5⁻-ring has a structure similar to that of the cyclopentadienyl molecule (C5H5)⁻, which has a wide range of industrial applications. However, the Bi5⁻-ring differs with its greater mass and unique electronic properties.
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