Facile synthesis of the tridecameric Al13 nanocluster Al13(μ3-OH)6(μ2-OH)18(H2O)24(NO3)15

Treatment of aluminum nitrate with an organic nitroso-containing compound yields the flat, tridecameric nanocluster Al-13(mu(3)- OH)(6)(mu(2)-OH)(18)(H2O)(24)(NO3)(15) (Al-13) in good yield on a preparative scale under ambient conditions. Synthetic procedures yielding two different single-crystal forms of the Al-13 cation with two varying counterion compositions are described.