Isoelectronic substitution from Si52− to Al5H52−: Exploration of the series Si5−n(AlH)n2− (n = 0–5).

We established that the transformation from Si 5 2− to Al 5 H 5 2− could be possible by the successive isoelectronic substitution of silicon atoms by Al H units. The potential energy surfaces for the series Si 5− n (AlH) n 2− ( n = 0–5) systems were explored in detail, and the global minima maintained the same overall deltahedral structure as the one of the Si 5 2− cluster. The conservation of the overall structure upon isoelectronic substitution was proven to happen due to the preservation of the chemical bonding pattern. Theoretical VDEs were calculated for the series LiSi 5− n (AlH) n − ( n = 1–4) systems to facilitate their experimental detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]