Lewis acid catalyzed stabilization of an excess electron on a molecular surface

Abstract: In a recently developed molecular surface model we proposed that excess electrons could be stabilized in charge pockets. These hypothetical molecular species had a network of hydrogen bonding OH groups on one side of the surface and hydrogen atoms on the opposite side. The OH groups were unevenly distributed so as to permit the dipole moment of the system to increase which allows charge pockets to form that can attract excess electrons on molecular surfaces. In this work we report the ability of AlCl3–NH3 to stabilize excess electrons on molecular surfaces. The calculations reveal that the resulting anions are very stable with respect to electron detachment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]