Icosahedron-based clustering has been found to be very common in intermetallics, particularly for group 13 and early p-block icosogen elements. Linking of the icosahedral building blocks depends on the valence electron concentrations. Vertex-, edge-, or face-sharing icosahedra occur as the structure compensates for electron deficiency. Some examples of icosahedron-based clusters have been selected for an analysis of the relationships between the structural features (icosahedron oligomerization, atomic defects, etc.) and the bonding and electronic requirements. The extended Hückel method has been used with either a molecular approach or an electronic band structure calculation to rationalize bonding in the intermetallic framework.

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The title compound was synthesized in a niobium container by fusion of the elements followed by slow cooling. In the first stage, the stoichiometric proportion KNaCd(3)Tl(7) yielded a heterogeneous product containing a few single crystals of the compound K(6)(Na(2.36(9))Cd(1.64(9)))Tl(12)Cd, the structure of which was established by a single crystal X-ray diffraction technique (cubic, Im&thremacr;, a = 11.352(2) Å, Z = 2, R(F) = 3.24%, Rw(F) = 4.60%). Occurrence of a stoichiometry range for the compound was indicated after a new reaction starting from the composition K(6)Na(2)Cd(3)Tl(12) gave a quite homogeneous and well-crystallized product (refined composition K(6)(Na(1.93(7))Cd(2.07(7)))Tl(12)Cd, Im&thremacr;, a = 11.321(2) Å, Z = 2, R(F) = 3.98%, Rw(F) = 4.99%). The structure of K(6)(NaCd)(2)Tl(12)Cd is distinguishable from that reported for Na(4)K(6)Tl(13) by replacement of the icosahedron centering thallium and of half the sodium cations by cadmium. Statistical occupation disorder occurs on the 8(c) position of the outer Cd/Na atom. The structure contains the 50-electron closed shell centered Tl(12)Cd(12-) icosahedral cluster with &thremacr;m symmetry (T(h)). Extended Hückel molecular orbital and band calculations were carried out to analyze the centering effect on the anion stability and look at the electron transfer, especially from cadmium lying within the first coordination shell of the icosahedral cluster. Electron localization within the Cd-centered icosahedron is not as evident as in the Tl-centered thallium icosahedral clusters described elsewhere; actually, cadmium is found to bridge icosahedra within a more three-dimensional network than sodium by forming bonds that are mainly covalent. The compound is a semiconducting Zintl phase with closed shell bonding.

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