A Five-Membered Ru5 Ring in a Hexagonal La14 Cage: The La14Cl20Ru5 Structure

The title compound features a five-membered Ru5 ring embedded in a La14 hexagonal wheel-like cage, an incommensurate combination of the two building units. A formal electron partition of (La3+)14(Cl–)20(Ru5)22– results in a (Ru5)22– ring isoelectronic to (Cd5)2–. However, computational studies show that there is significant electron back-donation from the Ru5 ring to the La14 wheel. This interaction strongly stabilizes the Ru5 ring. The resistivity and magnetic susceptibility of the compound have also been investigated.