Bonding and aromaticity in an all-metal sandwich-like compound, Be82-

A two-step substitution reaction: CpZnZnCp(D5h)→-2Cp-+2Be32-[Be3ZnZnBe3]2-(D3h)→-2Zn++2Be+[Be3BeBeBe3]2-(D3h) is studied at the B3LYP/6-311+G[d] level of theory. The resulting all-beryllium sandwich-like complex, Be82- is highly stable and aromatic. The ring-Be atom show different reactivity towards hard and soft electro (nucleo) philes than the bond-Be atoms.