Formation of novel transition metal hydride complexes with ninefold hydrogen coordination

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 44253
• Main Authors: Takagi, Shigeyuki, Iijima, Yuki, Sato, Toyoto, Saitoh, Hiroyuki, Ikeda, Kazutaka, Otomo, Toshiya, Miwa, Kazutoshi, Ikeshoji, Tamio, Orimo, Shin-ichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13.03.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 140/133; 639/301/299/891; 639/638/263/915; Cations; Compression; Conduction; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen; Lithium; Molybdenum; multidisciplinary; Rhenium; Science; Tantalum; Technetium; Temperature effects; Tungsten
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep44253

Ninefold coordination of hydrogen is very rare, and has been observed in two different hydride complexes comprising rhenium and technetium. Herein, based on a theoretical/experimental approach, we present evidence for the formation of ninefold H- coordination hydride complexes of molybdenum ([MoH 9 ] 3− ), tungsten ([WH 9 ] 3− ), niobium ([NbH 9 ] 4− ) and tantalum ([TaH 9 ] 4− ) in novel complex transition-metal hydrides, Li 5 MoH 11 , Li 5 WH 11 , Li 6 NbH 11 and Li 6 TaH 11 , respectively. All of the synthesized materials are insulated with band gaps of approximately 4 eV, but contain a sufficient amount of hydrogen to cause the H 1 s -derived states to reach the Fermi level. Such hydrogen-rich materials might be of interest for high-critical-temperature superconductivity if the gaps close under compression. Furthermore, the hydride complexes exhibit significant rotational motions associated with anharmonic librations at room temperature, which are often discussed in relation to the translational diffusion of cations in alkali-metal dodecahydro- closo -dodecaborates and strongly point to the emergence of a fast lithium conduction even at room temperature.