TETRAHEDRAL QUADRANIONIC CARBON CLUSTERS

Ab initio calculations on quadranionic carbon clusters with tetrahedra l symmetry show that the smallest cluster with the formula C-8n+1(4-) that is stable with respect to loss of an electron is C-33(4-). These quadranions have a central carbon that is bound to four identical bran ches that display a pattern of alternating short and long bond lengths . Feynman-Dyson amplitudes for electron detachment from the quadranion s are only slightly concentrated in terminal bond regions of each bran ch.