Oligomeric Group 13 hydroxide compounds--a rare but varied class of molecules.

This tutorial review surveys the wide variety of oligomeric hydroxide structures formed from aluminum, gallium, and indium. Both inorganic and ligand-supported structures are reviewed, providing a leading introduction to this research area. In addition to homometallic clusters comprising only one metal type, a series of heterometallic structures are described. This review highlights the synthesis and characterization of these nanoscale cluster compounds that have implications in a variety of fields, including catalysis, mineral mimicry, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, materials science, and semiconductors.