Ultraviolet laser ionization studies of 1-fluoronaphthalene clusters and density functional theory calculations

This paper studies supersonic jet-cooled 1-fluoronaphthalene （1FN） clusters by ultraviolet （UV） laser ionization at 281 nm in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The （1FN）＋ （n=1-3） series cluster ions are observed where the signal intensity decreases with increasing cluster size. The effects of sample inlet pressures and ionization laser fluxes to mass spectral distribution are measured. Using density functional theory calculations, it obtains a planar geometric structure of 1FN dimer which is combined through two hydrogen bonds. The mass spectra indicate that the intensity of 1FN trimer is much weaker than that of 1FN dimer and this feature is attributed to the fact that the dimer may form the first ＂shell＂ in geometric structure while the larger clusters are generated based on this fundamental unit.

A density functional theory structures, stabilities, and study on size-dependent electronic properties of bimetallic MnAgm （M=Na, Li; n ＋ m ≤ 7） clusters

The equilibrium geometries, relative stabilities, and electronic properties of MnAgm（M=Na, Li; n ＋ m ≤ 7） as well as pure Agn, Nan, Lin （n ≤ 7） clusters are systematically investigated by means of the density functional theory. The optimized geometries reveal that for 2 ≤ n ≤ 7, there are significant similarities in geometry among pure Agn, Nan, and Lin clusters, and the transitions from planar to three-dimensional configurations occur at n = 7, 7, and 6, respectively. In contrast, the first three-dimensional （3D） structures are observed at n ＋ m = 5 for both NanAgm and LinAgm clusters. When n ＋ m ≥5, a striking feature is that the trigonal bipyramid becomes the main subunit of LinAgm. Furthermore, dramatic odd-even alternative behaviours are obtained in the fragmentation energies, secondorder difference energies, highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, and chemical hardness for both pure and doped clusters. The analytic results exhibit that clusters with an even electronic configuration （2, 4, 6） possess the weakest chemical reactivity and more enhanced stability.

Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations of Binary VnC30/-(n=1-6) Clusters

Transition metal carbides have been shown to exhibit good catalytic performance that depends on their compositions and morphologies,and understanding such catalytic properties requires knowledge of their precise geometry,determination of which is challenging,particularly for clusters formed by multiple elements.In this study,we investigate the geometries and electronic structures of binary V_(n)C_(3)-(n=1-6)clusters and their neutrals using photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory.The adiabatic detachment energies of V_(n)C_(3)-,or equally,the electron affinities of V_(n)C_(3),have been determined from the measured photoelectron spectra.Theoretical calculations reveal that the carbon atoms become separate when the number of V atoms increases in the clusters,i.e.,the C-C interactions present in small clusters are replaced by V-C and/or V-V interactions in larger ones.We further explore the composition dependent formation of cubic or cube-like structures in 8-atom VnCm(n+m=8)clusters.

A density functional theory study on size-dependent structures,stabilities,and electronic properties of bimetallic M_nAg_m(M=Na,Li;n + m≤7) clusters

The equilibrium geometries,relative stabilities,and electronic properties of Mn Agm(M=Na,Li;n + m ≤ 7) as well as pure Ag n,Na n,Li n(n ≤ 7) clusters are systematically investigated by means of the density functional theory.The optimized geometries reveal that for 2 ≤ n ≤ 7,there are significant similarities in geometry among pure Ag n,Na n,and Li n clusters,and the transitions from planar to three-dimensional configurations occur at n = 7,7,and 6,respectively.In contrast,the first three-dimensional(3D) structures are observed at n + m = 5 for both Na n Ag m and Li n Ag m clusters.When n + m ≥ 5,a striking feature is that the trigonal bipyramid becomes the main subunit of Li n Ag m.Furthermore,dramatic odd-even alternative behaviours are obtained in the fragmentation energies,secondorder difference energies,highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps,and chemical hardness for both pure and doped clusters.The analytic results exhibit that clusters with an even electronic configuration(2,4,6) possess the weakest chemical reactivity and more enhanced stability.

Structures and electronic properties of Si_m N_(8-m)(0

The geometries, electronic structures and related properties of SimN8-m（0 〈 m 〈 8） clusters are studied using density functional theory （DFT） with hybrid functional B3LYP. The calculated results reveal several trends. For any stoichiometric clusters, the lowest energy isomers with an alteration of N and Si atoms are favourable in energy if the numbers of Si and N atoms are large enough to form ... Si N-Si-N... alternative chains. The bond lengths of single Si-N bonds are very close to the corresponding values of the bulk and other SiN clusters. The geometries for N-rich and Si4N4 clusters are planar structures, but three-dimensional structures are favourable in energy for Si-rich clusters. With the increase of m, the isotropic polarizability and average polarizability increase, the total binding energies generally decrease, the HOMO-LUMO gap and vertical ionization potential oscillate with increasing number of valence electrons, and their values with even valence electrons are larger than those with odd valence electrons. The atomic charges, IR and Raman properties are also reported.

Study on electronic density topology of various cluster models of Mg/Al hydrotalcite by density functional theory

The geometry and electronic topology properties of Mg/Al hydrotalcite cluster models were comparatively investigated by means of density functional theory at GGA/DND levels.The results suggested that cluster model containing seven octahedral cations was the smallest size to be employed to simulate other properties.The fact that the n＋ charge of cluster models containing n aluminum atoms can reflect electronic properties of anionic clay layer sheet.The bond lengths of clusters can be modified by terminating with or without OH-/H2O groups in terms of principle of bond order conservation.

Density Functional Theory Study on Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Mn-doped （MgO）n （n=2-10） Clusters

We study the geometries, stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of （MgO）n （n=2-10） clusters doped with a single Mn atom using the density functional theory with the gener- alized gradient approximation. The optimized geometries show that the impurity Mn atom prefers to replace the Mg atom which has low coordination number in all the lowest-energy MnMgn-1On （n=2-10） structures. The stability analysis clearly represents that the average binding energies of the doped clusters are larger than those of the corresponding pure （MgO）n clusters. Maximum peaks of the second order energy differences are observed for MnMg~_1On clusters at n=6, 9, implying that these clusters exhibit higher stability than their neighboring clusters. In addition, all the Mn-doped Mg clusters exhibit high total magnetic moments with the exception of MnMgO2 which has 3.00μB. Their magnetic behavior is attributed to the impurity Mn atom, the charge transfer modes, and the size of MnMgn- 1On clusters.

Density functional theory study of Mg_nNi_2(n=1-6) clusters

The geometries of MgnNi2（n = 1 6） clusters are studied by using the hybrid density functional theory （B3LYP） with LANL2DZ basis sets. For the ground-state structures of MgnNi2 clusters, the stabilities and the electronic properties are investigated. The results show that the groundstate structures and symmetries of Mg clusters change greatly due to the Ni atoms. The average binding energies have a growing tendency while the energy gaps have a declining tendency. In addition, the ionization energies exhibit an odd-even oscillation feature. We also conclude that n = 3, 5 are the magic numbers of the MgnNi2 clusters. The Mg3Ni2 and Mg5Ni2 clusters are more stable than neighbouring clusters, and the MgaNi2 cluster exhibits a higher chemical activity.

Computational Investigation of Neutral and Anionic Al_nCo_m Clusters by Density-functional Theory

Structural and electronic properties of bimetallic clusters AlnCom with n=1～7 and m=1～2 have been investigated using the B3LYP-DFT method.Structural optimization and frequency analysis were performed at the CEP-121G level.The charge-induced structural changes in these anions were discussed.In addition,the corresponding total energies,binding energies,adiabatic electron affinities and vertical electron affinity were also presented and discussed.Our predicted vertical ionization potentials are in reasonable agreement with the experimental ionization potentials.Among different AlnCom and AlnCom-anions （n=1～7,m=1～2）,Al4Co,Al6Co,Al4Co-,Al6Co-and Al4Co2-are predicted to be species with high stabilities.

Density functional theory study of neutral AlS_n(n=2-9) clusters

This paper investigates the geometrical structures and relative stabilities of neutral A1Sn （n=2-9） using the density functional theory. Structural optimisation and frequency analysis are performed at the B3LYP/6-311C（d） level. The ground state structures of the A1Sn show that the sulfur atoms prefer not only to evenly distribute on both sides of the aluminum atom but also to form stable structures in AlSn clusters. The structures of pure Sn are fundamentally changed due to the doping of the Al atom. The fragmentation energies and the second-order energy differences are calculated and discussed. Among neutral AlSn （n = 2-9） clusters, AlS4 and AlS6 are the most stable.

Density Functional Theory Study of HCN Adsorption on Small Gold Clusters

A theoretical study was carried out on the adsorption of hydrocyanic acid on small Aun （n ≤ 7） clusters using density functional methods. For HCN adsorption on gold clusters, no dependence was found with respect to the even-odd alternation in relation to the number of gold atoms in the cluster. The HCN molecule is adsorbed at simple adsorption sites （1-fold coordination）, perpendicular to the adsorption site. The largest adsorption energy is only about 74.61 kJ·mol^-1, which indicates that the HCN molecule does not decompose and the C-N bond retains triple bond, and that the C-H and C-N stretching frequencies are only weakly perturbed. The adsorbed C-N and C-H stretching frequencies are blue- and red-shifted compared with the values of free HCN, respectively.

Density Functional Theory Study of Water Diffusion and Clustering on Pd(111)

The internal structures as well as adsorption and hopping energies of monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers and hexamers of water on Pd（111） have been studied by density functional theory （DFT） plane-wave pseudopotential method which performs the firstprinciples quantum-mechanical calculations to explore the properties of crystals and surfaces in materials. Based on the calculations, we suppose that their absorption is via one water molecule for monomers, dimmers and trimers, but three water molecules for pentamers and hexamers. Moreover, there is one water molecule bonding with Pd atom by O atom in pentamers and hexamers, which explains why pentamers and hexamers are stable. The binding energies of polymers may be used to explain why the trimer comes close to two nearby monomers to form a stable pentamer instead of tetramer. And the difference of mobility of small water clusters is due to their different hopping energies.

Density functional theory study on Ni-doped Mg_n Ni(n=17) clusters

The possible geometrical and the electronic structures of small MgnNi （n = 1 - 7） clusters are optimised by the density functional theory with a LANL2DZ basis set. The binding energy, the energy gap, the electron affinity, the dissociation energy and the second difference in energy are calculated and discussed. The properties of MgnNi clusters are also discussed when the number of Mg atom increases.

A density-functional theory for (BAs) n clusters (n=1-14):structures,stabilities and electronic properties

This paper investigates the lowest-energy structures, stabilities and electronic properties of （BAs）n clusters （n=1- 14） by means of the density-functional theory. The results show that the lowest-energy structures undergo a structural change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional when n ： 4. With the increase of the cluster size （n=6）, the （BAs）n clusters tend to adopt cage-like structures, which can be considered as being built from B2As2 and six-membered rings with B-As bond alternative arrangement. The binding energy per atom, second-order energy differences, vertical electron affinity and vertical ionization potential are calculated and discussed. The caculated HOMO-LUMO gaps reveal that the clusters have typical semiconductor characteristics. The analysis of partial density of states suggests that there are strong covalence and molecular characteristics in the clusters.

Structures, stabilities, and electronic properties of F-doped Sin （n=1～12） clusters：Density functional theory investigation

The geometries, stabilities, and electronic properties of FSin （n=1～12） clusters are systematically investigated by using first-principles calculations based on the hybrid density-functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311G level. The geometries are found to undergo a structural change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional structure when the cluster size n equals 3. On the basis of the obtained lowest-energy geometries, the size dependencies of cluster properties, such as averaged binding energy, fragmentation energy, second-order energy difference, HOMO–LUMO （highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital） gap and chemical hardness, are discussed. In addition, natural population analysis indicates that the F atom in the most stable FSin cluster is recorded as being negative and the charges always transfer from Si atoms to the F atom in the FSin clusters.

Density Functional Theory Study on the Adsorption of Dioxygen on Small Pt-Pd Clusters

The electronic and physical properties of PtmPdn （m＋n≤5） metal clusters and their interactions with dioxygen have been studied by using hybrid density functional B3LYP method. The total energies, atomization energies, vibration frequencies, and charge distributions were reported. The Pt-Pt bridge site modified by Pd atoms was found to be the most active site for the dissociation of dioxygen, which was mainly due to the change of electronic structures of the Pt atoms in bimetallic Pt-Pd clusters.

Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density Functional Calculations of TiGen^- （n=7-12） Clusters

The growth pattern and electronic properties of TiGen^- （n=7-12） clusters were investigated using anion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. For both anionic and neutral TiGen clusters, a half-encapsulated boat-shaped structure appears at n=8, and the boat-shaped structure is gradually covered by the additional Ge atoms to form Gen cage at n=9-11. TiGe12^- cluster has a distorted hexagonal prism cage structure. According to the natural population analysis, the electron transfers from the Gen framework to the Ti atom for TiGen^-/0 clusters at n=8-12, implying that the electron transfer pattern is related to the structural evolution.

Structural and bonding properties of ScSi_n^-(n=2～6) clusters:photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations

Anion ion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory （DFT） are used to investigate the electronic and structural properties of ScSin （n = 2 - 6） clusters and their neutrals. We find that the structures of ScSin^- are similar to those of Sin＋1^-. The most stable isomers of ScSin^- cluster anions and their neutrals are similar for n=-2, 3 and 5 but different for n=4 and 6, indicating that the charge effect on geometry is size dependent for small scandiumsilicon clusters. The low electron binding energy （EBE） tails observed in the spectra of ScSi4,6^- can be explained by the existence of less stable isomers. A comparison between ScSin and VSin clusters shows the effects of metal size and electron configuration on cluster geometries.

Density functional study of Au_nCu (n=1-7) clusters

The possible stable geometrical configurations and the relative stabilities of the lowest-lying isomers of copperdoped gold clusters, AunCu （n = 1-7）, are investigated using the density functional theory. Several low-lying isomers are determined. The results indicate that the ground-state AunCu clusters have planar structures for n = 1-7. The stability trend of the AunCu clusters （n = 1-7）, shows that odd-numbered AunCu clusters are more stable than the neighbouring even-numbered ones, thereby indicating the AusCu clusters are magic cluster with high chemical stability.