THE HYDRIDES OF ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM, AND THALLIUM - A REEVALUATION

Unlike boron, the Group 13 metals aluminium, gallium, indium, and thal lium form few well authenticated hydrides, the status of which has suf fered over the years from either neglect or controversy. Recent experi mental advances (leading, for example, to the synthesis and characteri zation of gallane) have now stimulated, and in turn profited from, rel atively sophisticated quantum mechanical analyses. We draw on a combin ation of experiment and theory to re-assess these compounds, to review their properties, as well as some of the issues remaining unresolved, and to signal ways in which such studies may be turned to account.