Metallocarbohedrenes: recent advancements

Abstract

The recently discovered family of molecular clusters, metallocarbohedrenes (metcars), have generated considerable excitement in cluster chemistry. Metcar research has spread into a large number of transition metals and mixed metals and recent investigations point to the complexity and variety of metcar chemistry. The structure and electronic properties are vigorously studied by various methods of theory. Many of the earlier assumptions have been proved wrong by carefully planned experiments and detailed computational studies. Metcar research will certainly intensify in the years to come in view of their predieted novel properties.