Naked deltahedral silicon clusters in solution: Synthesis and characterization of Si9 (super 3-) and Si5 (super 2-)

Liquid ammonia is used as a solvent in extracting the first nine- and five- atom naked clusters of silicon in solution, and the structural characterization of Si9 (super 3-) and Si5 (super 2-) in compounds crystallized from such solutions, is described. Potential technology built on such deposition could be of great importance for the development of various novel microdevices of silicon.