Inorganic Electrides

Abstract

Inorganic electrides are a novel kind of ionic compounds in which the anions are electrons confined in a complex array of cavities or channels and the cations are nanoscale arrays of alkali metal ions that provide charge balance. In electrides the donated electron behaves like a low-density correlated electron gas, whereby the dimensionality of the electron gas and its electronic and magnetic properties are determined by the topology of the cavities in the host matrix. Unlike traditional electrides, in which alkali cations are encapsulated within an organic cage, inorganic electrides are thermally stable. The current inorganic electrides based on alkali metal loaded zeolites can be designed as useful reduced-dimensionality materials. Inorganic electrides are powerful reducing agents, and they are able to reduce small aromatic molecules to the radical anions within the channels of the zeolite.