Iron–nickel (Fe–Ni) clusters are metal clusters consisting of iron and nickel, i.e. Fe–Ni structures displaying polyhedral frameworks held together by two or more metal–metal bonds per metal atom, where the metal atoms are located at the vertices of closed, triangulated polyhedra.
Individually, iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) generally form metal clusters with π-acceptor ligands. Π acceptor ligands are ligands that remove some of the electron density from the metal.
Figure 1 contains pictures of representative cluster shapes. Clusters take the form of closed, triangulated polyhedral.
Corresponding bulk systems of Fe and Ni atoms show a variety of composition-dependent abnormalities and unusual effects. Fe–Ni composites are studied in hopes to understand and utilize these unusual and new properties.
Fe–Ni clusters are used for several main purposes. Fe–Ni clusters ranging from single to hundreds of atoms are used in catalysis, depending on the reaction mechanism. Additionally, Fe–Ni clusters, usually of one or two metal atoms, are used in biological systems. These applications are discussed below.