A topological study of the ferromagnetic "no-pair bonding" in maximum-spin lithium clusters: ^N+1Li _n (n=2-6)

The nature of the bonding between lithium atoms, in low-spin and maximum-spin (Li)_n(n=2-6) clusters, was investigated using the topological electron localization function (ELF) approach. The maximum-spin clusters are especially intriguing since their bonding is sustained without having even a single electron pair! Hence this type of bonding had been called "no-pair ferromagnetic-bonding" [Danovich, Wu, Shaik J Am Chem Soc 121:3165 (1999); Glokhovtsev, Schleyer Isr J Chem 33: 455 (1993); de Visser, Danovich, Wu, Shaik J Phys Chem A 106:4961 (2002)]. The following conclusions were reached in the study: (a) In the ground state of Li _n , covalent bonding between Li atoms is accounted by the presence of the disynaptic valence basins, which exhibit a significant degree of inter-basin delocalization. (b) Except for the ³Li₂ case, the valence basins of all maximum-spin clusters are populated by unpaired electrons. The valence basins are located off Li-Li axis (or Li-Li-Li plane), so that their spatial distribution minimizes the mutual Pauli repulsion and screens the electrostatic repulsion between the Li cores. The inter-basin delocalization is rather high, thereby indicating that the unpaired electrons are virtually delocalized over all the valence basins. (c) The ELF analysis shows that Li atoms in the low-spin clusters are bonded by "two-center two-electron" and "three-center two-electron" bonds. (d) In the maximum-spin species, bonding is sustained by "two-center one-electron" and "three-center one-electron" bonds. The latter picture is complementary to the valence bond picture [Danovich, Wu, Shaik J Am Chem Soc 121 3165 (1999); de Visser, Danovich, Wu, Shaik J Phys Chem A 106: 4961 (2002)], in which the bicentric ferromagnetic-bonding is delocalized over all the short Li-Li contacts, by the mixing of the ionic structures and other nonredundant structures into the repulsive high-spin covalent structure in which all the electrons populate the 2s atomic orbitals, i.e., the 2s¹ _a2s¹_b2s¹n...2s_n ¹ configuration. In such a manner bonding can be sustained from "purely ferromagnetic interactions" without electron pairing.