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Science 6 December 2002:
Vol. 298. no. 5600, p. 1843
DOI: 10.1126/science.298.5600.1843h
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The extremely low ionization energy of cesium has long been exploited in photoelectric cells. Cotton et al. (p. 1971) now report on a molecular solid whose ionization energy beats out cesium by a few tenths of an electron volt. This compound contains a specially ligated tungsten-tungsten quadruple bond, and it is the electron in the weakest d bond that is emitted at such low energies. Quite unlike cesium, the molecule is relatively stable at ambient conditions and may find use as a reducing agent.

Figure 1
CREDIT: COTTON ET AL.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)