A Highly Distorted Open-Shell Endohedral Zintl Cluster: [Mn@Pb12]3–

Reaction of an ethylenediamine (en) solution of K4Pb9 and 2,2,2-crypt (4,7,13,16,21,24-hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane) with a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution of Mn3(Mes)6 (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) yielded the anionic cluster [Mn@Pb12]3–. This species was observed in the positive and negative ion-mode electrospray mass-spectra of the crude reaction mixture. The crystalline samples obtained from such solutions allowed us to confirm the composition of the sample as [K(2,2,2-crypt)]3[Mn@Pb12]·1.5en (1). Because of numerous issues related to crystal sample quality and crystallographic disorder a high-quality crystal structure solution could not be obtained. Despite this, however, the data collected permit us to draw reasonable conclusions about the charge and connectivity of the [Mn@Pb12]3– cluster anion. Crystals of 1 were further characterized by elemental analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on such a system reveal a highly distorted endohedral cluster anion, consistent with the structural distortions observed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The cluster anions are considerably expanded compared to the 36-electron closed-shell analogue [Ni@Pb12]2– and, moreover, exhibit significant low-symmetry distortions from the idealized icosahedral (Ih) geometry that is characteristic of related endohedral clusters. Our computations indicate that there is substantial transfer of electron density from the formally Mn(−I) center to the low-lying vacant orbitals of the [Pb12]2– cage.