Fig. 1. Selected examples of known molecular silicon cluster species with naked cluster atoms: (a) (SiMeDis2)3Si4– (Dis = CH(SiMe3)2);28 (b) {Si(SiMetBu2)3}4Si5;29 (c) the siliconoid (Tip)5Si6– (Tip = 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl);18 (d) (SitBu3)6Si8;21 (e) (tBu)4{C4(SiMe3)4}2Si8;20 (f) the siliconoid (SiHtBu2)2Si92– (3b).30 Silicon clusters are shown as yellow polyhedra; naked and substituted Si cluster atoms are shown as red and black spheres, respectively, and the cluster substituents are drawn in the wire-and-stick mode.
