Understanding of the structure, bonding, formation and decomposition of metalloid aluminum clusters - a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance study of solid AlCp

The investigation of the tetrahedral Al4Cp*(4) cluster with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry using laser desorption/ionization as the ionization method results in a couple of aluminum cluster compounds AlxCp*(+)(y) (x > y) with up to eight aluminum atoms. MSn experiments are performed in order to understand the formation and reactivity of the different species. Quantum chemical calculations of the structure and energy for all compounds identified complete this study.