Can zinc really exist in its oxidation state +III?

J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Jul 25;134(29):11977-9. doi: 10.1021/ja3052409. Epub 2012 Jul 11.

Abstract

Very recently, a thermochemically stable Zn(III) complex has been predicted by Samanta and Jena (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 8400-8403). In contrast to their conclusions we show here by quantum chemical calculations that (a) Zn(AuF(6))(3) is not a thermochemically feasible compound, and (b) even if it could be made, it would not represent a Zn(III) oxidation state by any valid definition.