Overview and perspectives on metalloid tin cluster chemistry

Although the first metalloid tin cluster was discovered by Wiberg in 1999, the number of isolated and characterized compounds is still low. However, numerous theoretical calculations indicate that a large variety of compounds are yet to be discovered, thereby suggesting that larger clusters might form a cluster-of-clusters arrangement rather than compact structures. This trend seems to be supported by the largest metalloid tin clusters exhibiting up to 20 tin atoms. In this review, recent results and future possibilities of this fascinating class of metalloid tin cluster compounds are discussed.