Electronic delocalization in two and three dimensions: differential aggregation in indium ‘metalloid’ clusters

Reduction of indium boryl precursors to give two- and three-dimensional M-M bonded networks is influenced by the choice of supporting ligand. While the unprecedented nanoscale cluster [In68(boryl)12]- (with an In12@In44@In12(boryl)12 concentric structure), can be isolated from the potassium reduction of a bis(boryl)indium(III) chloride precursor, analogous reduction of the corresponding (benzamidinate)In^III Br(boryl) system gives a nearplanar (and weakly aromatic) tetranuclear [In4(boryl)4]^2- system.