chemistry

Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom

Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom rather than just read about it. In short: The heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom is a Mackay‐type icosahedral cluster compound with formula [Cu43Al12](Cp*)12. It is an open‐shell 67‐electron superatom.

Key takeaways

Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom is a Mackay‐type icosahedral cluster compound with formula [Cu43Al12](Cp*)12. It is an open‐shell 67‐electron superatom. It is notable for its large electron count compared to other heterometallic superatoms and its unprecedented electron structure of an open-shell configuration. As of 2018, it was the largest heterometallic superatom to be created using wet chemical synthesis.

Synthesis Combining (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)aluminium(I) with mesitylcopper(I) in benzene at 78 °C under an inert atmosphere for 48 hours, followed by slow cooling, forms black cocrystals of the compound with benzene:

[AlCp*]4 + [CuMes]5 + C6H6 → [Cu43Al12](Cp*)12·6C6H6 The material is created from single-atom sources of copper and aluminium, which spontaneously separate from the organic compounds to form the superatom cluster. The exergonic nature of the reaction demonstrates that this specific arrangement of copper and aluminum atoms is stable.

Structure According to crystallographic and computational analysis, the complex contains a central copper atom surrounded by a first icosahedral shell containing twelve copper atoms, followed by a second icosahedral shell containing twelve aluminium atoms (located at the vertices of the icosahedron) and thirty copper atoms (located at the midpoints of the edges). This central group of metal atoms (of radius 5.137 Å) is surrounded by twelve pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands (one attached to each aluminium atom) that assist in protecting it against further reaction. It was the first ligated heterometallic Mackay-type cluster to be discovered.

References

External links https://iscr.univ-rennes1.fr/umr/news/article/open-shell-67-electron-superatom?lang=en

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom

In research: Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aluminium compounds, Cluster chemistry, Copper compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom in simple terms?

The heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom is a Mackay‐type icosahedral cluster compound with formula [Cu43Al12](Cp*)12. It is an open‐shell 67‐electron superatom.

Why does Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom.