Ab initio calculation of the geometric,electronic and magnetic properties of neutral and anionic Au n Pd (n = 1–9) clusters

The ab initio method based on density functional theory at the B3PW91 level has been applied to study the geometric, electronic, and magnetic properties of neutral and anionic Au _n Pd (n?=?1–9) clusters. The results show that the most stable geometric structures adopt a three-dimensional structure for neutral Au₇Pd and Au₈Pd clusters, but for anionic clusters, no three-dimensional lowest-energy structures were obtained. The relative stabilities of neutral and anionic Au _n Pd clusters were analysed by means of the dependent relationships between the binding energies per atom, the dissociation energies, the second-order difference of energies, the HOMO–LUMO energy gaps and the cluster size n, and a local odd–even alternation phenomenon was found. Natural population analysis indicates the sequential transfer from the Pd atom to the Au _n frame in Au_1,2,3,5Pd and Au_2,3Pd^? clusters, and from the Au _n frame to the Pd atom in other clusters. Much to our surprise, irrespective of whether it is the total magnetic moment or the local magnetic moment, the magnetic moment presents an odd–even alternation phenomenon as a function of the cluster size n. The magnetic effects are mainly localized on the various atoms (Au or Pd) for different cluster size n.     

Mag netic properties of $$\hbox{Ni}_{13- n}\hbox{Al}_ n$$ clusters with n = 0–13

We report the magnetic properties of small Ni_13-nAl_n\hbox{Ni}_{13-n}\hbox{Al}_n clusters with n = 0–13 calculated in the framework of density functional theory. The cluster magnetic moment decreases with the sequential substitution of Ni by Al atoms, which can be attributed to a greater degree of hybridization that forces the pairing of the electrons in the molecular orbitals of Ni and Al. For Ni₇Al₆, the complete quenching of the cluster magnetic moment appears to be due to the antiferromagnetic alignment of atomic spins as revealed by the spin density plots.     

Geometries,stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small PdnIr (n = 1–8) clusters from first-principles calculations

The geometrical structures, relative stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small Pd_nIr (n = 1–8) clusters have been systematically investigated using density functional theory at the B3PW91 level. The optimised geometries show that the lowest-energy structures of Pd_nIr clusters prefer a three-dimensional configuration. The relative stability of these clusters was examined by analysis of the binding energies per atom, fragmentation energies, the second-order difference of energies and the HOMO–LUMO energy gaps as a function of cluster size. The obtained results exhibit that the Pd₂Ir, Pd₃Ir and Pd₅Ir clusters are more stable than their neighbouring clusters. The energy gap of the Pd₂Ir cluster is the largest of all the clusters (2.258 eV). In addition, the charge transfers, vertical ionisation potentials, vertical electron affinities and chemical hardness were calculated and discussed. The magnetism calculations indicate that the total magnetic moment of Pd_nIr clusters is mainly localised on the iridium atom for Pd_1–6Ir clusters. Meanwhile, the 5d orbital plays the key role in the magnetic moment of the iridium atom.     

Spin-polarised DFT study of cobalt-doped gallium clusters

The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of small gallium clusters doped with Cobalt have been studied using spin-polarised density functional theory. The binding energy per atom, second-order differences of total energies and fragmentation energies of equilibrium geometries of the host Ga_n+1 and doped Ga_nCo (n = 1–12) clusters are computed. Doped clusters are found to be more stable than pure Ga clusters; Ga₃Co, Ga₅Co and Ga₈Co clusters are exceptionally stable. Doping with Co changes the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) gap, and also affects the magnetic moments of clusters.     

密度泛函理论对ZrnPd团簇结构和性质的研究

用B3LYP/LANL2DZ方法对Zr_nPd(n =1—13)团簇的平衡几何结构、能量、频率、电子性质和磁性进行了计算.研究表明,Pd原子位于表面的异构体更为稳定,其中Zr₇Pd,Zr₁₂Pd团簇稳定性高,是幻数团簇,此外,相对于Zr_nCo与Zr_nFe团簇,Zr_nPd团簇参与化学反应的能力较弱,化学稳定性更     

Density functional theory study of MgnNi2 (n=1-6) clusters

The geometries of Mg_nNi₂ (n=1-6) clusters are studied by using the hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP) with LANL2DZ basis sets. For the ground-state structures of Mg_nNi₂ 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 Mg_nNi₂ clusters. The Mg₃ Ni₂ and Mg₅Ni₂ clusters are more stable than neighbouring clusters, and the Mg₄Ni₂ cluster exhibits a higher chemical activity.     

Structures and electronic properties of Mo2nNn（n=1-5）:a density functional study

The lowest-energy structures and the electronic properties of Mo2nNn(n=1-5) clusters have been studied by using the density functional theory(DFT) simulating package DMol 3 in the generalized gradient approximation(GGA).The resulting equilibrium geometries show that the lowest-energy structures are dominated by central cores which correspond to the ground states of Mo n(n = 2,4,6,8,10) clusters and nitrogen atoms which surround these cores.The average binding energy,the adiabatic electron affinity(AEA),the vertical electron affinity(VEA),the adiabatic ionization potential(AIP) and the vertical ionization potential(VIP) of Mo2nNn(n=1-5) clusters have been estimated.The HOMO-LUMO gaps reveal that the clusters have strong chemical activities.An analysis of Mulliken charge distribution shows that charge-transfer moves from Mo atoms to N atoms and increases with cluster size.     

密度泛函理论研究BnNi(n=6—12)团簇的结构和磁性

基于第一性原理,用密度泛函理论中的广义梯度近似(generalized gradient approximation,GGA)方法,在充分考虑自旋多重度的前提下,优化并得到了B_n(n=6—12)和B_nNi(n=6—12)团簇的平衡构型,按照能量最低原理确定其基态结构. B_n团簇的计算结果与已有的理论结果相一致. 当Ni原子掺杂在B_n团簇 关键词： nNi团簇')" href="#">B_nNi团簇 基态结构 磁性     

Structures,stabilities and electronic properties of boron-doped silicon clusters B3Sin (n=1–17) and their anions

The structures, stabilities and electronic properties of neutral and anionic B₃Si_n (n?=?1–17) clusters have been systemically investigated on the basis of density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311?+?G(d) level and CALYPSO structure prediction method. The structural searches show that three boron atoms tend to form B₃ triangle encapsulated into Si_n cages with the increasing number of silicon atoms. Most of the lowest energy structures can be derived by using the squashed pentagonal bipyramid structure of B₃Si₄ and B₃Si₄^? as the major building unit. The relative stabilities are studied based on the calculated binding energies, second-order difference of energies and HOMO–LUMO gaps of the lowest energy structures. In addition, Hirshfeld, natural population analysis, Bader approaches and natural electronic configuration are performed to explore the charge transfer. At last, molecular orbital, magnetic properties, IR, Raman and UV–vis spectra are also, respectively, analysed for providing strong support for essential theoretical and experimental research.     

Geometrical,electronic, and magnetic properties of CunFe (n=1–12) clusters: A density functional study

The geometrical, electronic, and magnetic properties of small Cu_nFe (n=1–12) clusters have been investigated by using density functional method B3LYP and LanL2DZ basis set. The structural search reveals that Fe atoms in low-energy Cu_nFe isomers tend to occupy the position with the maximum coordination number. The ground state Cu_nFe clusters possess planar structure for n=2–5 and three-dimensional (3D) structure for n=6–12. The electronic properties of Cu_nFe clusters are analyzed through the averaged binding energy, the second-order energy difference and HOMO–LUMO energy gap. It is found that the magic numbers of stability are 1, 3, 7 and 9 for the ground state Cu_nFe clusters. The energy gap of Fe-encapsulated cage clusters is smaller than that of other configurations. The Cu₅Fe and Cu₇Fe clusters have a very large energy gap (>2.4 eV). The vertical ionization potential (VIP), electron affinity (EA) and photoelectron spectra are also calculated and simulated theoretically for all the ground-state clusters. The magnetic moment analyses for the ground-state Cu_nFe clusters show that Fe atom can enhance the magnetic moment of the host cluster and carries most of the total magnetic moment.     

Effect of Gd and Fe doping on magnetic properties of Al87Y5Ni8 amorphous alloy

In this paper we present and discuss magnetic properties of the Al₈₇Y₅Ni₈, Al₈₇Y₄Gd₁Ni₈, Al₈₇Gd₅Ni₈, Al₈₇Y₄Gd₁Ni₄Fe₄ and Al₈₇Gd₅Ni₄Fe₄ amorphous alloys. The examinations have been concentrated on a possible magnetic ordering at low temperatures and its modification by amorphous surroundings as well as different magnetic moment of alloying additions. It was shown that magnetic properties of the Al₈₇Y₅Ni₈ amorphous base alloy correspond to a superparamagnetic body with Ni magnetic clusters. Magnetic moment of Ni atom in amorphous aluminum matrix is found to be 0.3 μ_B that corresponds to less than 50 Ni atoms per one cluster. Gd doping of the base alloy leads to a decrease of the resultant magnetic moment of Ni clusters that can be explained by some antiferromagnetic coupling Ni-Gd and Ni-Ni within magnetic clusters.     

WnNim(n+m=8)团簇结构与电子性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)中的B3LYP方法,在Lanl2dz基组水平上对W_nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇的各种可能构型进行了几何参数全优化,得到了它们的基态构型;并对基态构型的平均结合能、Wiberg键级(WBI)、磁学性质、NBO进行了分析,结果表明:团簇随着W原子数的增多,稳定性增强,n≥5时,结构中都含有纯钨团簇的结构基元;W-W键级高于W-Ni键和Ni-Ni键;W₅Ni₃,W₆Ni₂团簇发生了"磁矩猝灭"的现象;在W,Ni原子内部,轨道电荷发生了转移,产生了"轨道杂化"现象,W,Ni原子之间也发生了电荷转移形成了较强的化学键. 关键词： nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇')" href="#">W_nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇 几何结构 电子性质 密度泛函理论     

Structures,energetics and magnetic properties of (NiSn)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript> clusters with <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> = 1–6

We report the results of calculations which were performed to investigate equilibrium structures, electronic and magnetic properties of stoichiometric (NiSn) _n clusters with n = 1–6 within the framework of density functional theory. The calculated results show that the structural arrangement of (NiSn) _n clusters is dominated by the Ni-Sn and Ni-Ni interactions. We find that these binary clusters show significant variation in the geometries as compared to that of the host nickel clusters. The preference for tetrahedron unit of Ni₃Sn is seen in the lowest-energy configuration of these clusters. The multi-centre bonding between Ni atoms play an important role in stabilizing the stoichiometric Ni-Sn clusters. Doping of Sn atoms enhances the binding energy and reduces the ionization potential of nickel clusters. These binary clusters prefer the lowest spin state. For (NiSn)₆ the magnetic moment is 0 μB. The complete quenching of the cluster magnetic moment appears to be due to the antiferromagnetic alignment of atomic spins as revealed by the spin density plots.     

Chiral structures and tunable magnetic moments in 3d transition metal doped Pt6 clusters

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of transition metal doped platinum clusters MPt6 （M=Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn） are systematically studied by using the relativistic all-electron density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. Most of the doped clusters show larger binding energies than the pure Pt7 cluster, which indicates that the doping of the transition metal atom can stabilize the pure platinum cluster. The results of the highest occupied molecular orbital （HOMO） lowest unoccupied molecular orbital （LUMO） gaps suggest that the doped clusters can have higher chemical activities than the pure Pt7 cluster. The magnetism calculations demonstrate that the variation range of the magnetic moments of the MPt6 clusters is from 0 μB to 7 μB, revealing that the MPt6 clusters have potential utility in designing new spintronic nanomaterials with tunable magnetic properties.     

First-principles study of ferromagnetism in Zn- and Cd-doped SnO2

The electronic structures and magnetic properties of Zn- and Cd-doped SnO₂ are investigated using first-principles calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U scheme. The substitutional Zn and Cd atoms introduce holes in the 2p orbitals of the O atoms and the introduced holes are mostly confined to the minority-spin states. The magnetic moment induced by doping mainly comes from the 2p orbitals of the O atoms, among which the moment of the first neighboring O atoms around the dopant are the biggest. The U correction for the anion-2p states obviously increases the moment of the first neighboring O atoms and transforms the ground states of the doped SnO₂ from half-metallic to insulating. The magnetic coupling between the moments induced by two dopants is ferromagnetic and the origin of ferromagnetic coupling can be attributed to the p–d hybridization interaction involving holes.     

W_n Ni_m(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇电子结构与光谱性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)中的B3PW91方法在LANL2DZ基组水平上对WnNim(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇的各种可能构型进行了几何结构优化,得出了它们的基态构型,并对其NBO、振动频率、光谱和极化率进行了理论研究.研究结果表明:W,Ni原子内部杂化现象较强,而在W-Ni原子之间杂化较弱;在W和Ni相互作用形成合金团簇的过程中,发生原子间的电荷转移,使得合金团簇中大多数Ni原子带正电荷W原子带负电荷;从光学上分析显示,W6Ni团簇的IR和Raman谱中的振动峰最多,W5Ni2的IR和Raman谱中的振动峰最强,W2Ni的IR谱中只有一个较强峰值;WnNim(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇中原子间的成键相互作用随W成分的增加而增强.     

Geometric and electronic structures of AlnCum (n = 5–9, m = 1–3) clusters: genetic algorithm combined with ab initio models

The geometries, stabilities and electronic structures of Al _n Cu _m (n?=?5–9, m?=?1–3) clusters were explored by using the genetic algorithm combined with ab initio methods. The geometric structures are almost spherical when the valence electrons are around the magic number 20, otherwise the structures are oblate or prolate. The stabilities of the clusters are related to both the Cu/Al ratios and the electronic configurations. The clusters with lower Cu/Al ratios have high stabilities. The molecular orbitals are in accord with the shell structures predicted by the jellium model. The 3d orbitals of the Cu atoms are localised, although their orbital energies are between the 1P and 1D jellium orbitals. The Al₆Cu₂ with 20 valence electrons forms closed 1S²1P⁶1D¹⁰2S² shells, and shows large binding energy and removal energy, large ionisation potential and small electron affinity. For the no-magic clusters, the structure deformation leads to crystal-field-like splitting of the degenerate shells and stabilises the clusters.     

Structure,stability and magnetic properties of (NiAl)n(n≤6) clusters

In this paper, density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation potential has been used to calculate the energetically global-minimum geometries and electronic states of (NiAl)_n(n≤6) clusters. Full structural optimizations, analysis of energy and frequency calculation are performed. The most stable structures of (NiAl)_n clusters are all three-dimensional structures except NiAl. The average bond lengths of (NiAl)_n clusters are larger than that of Ni_2n, and are smaller than that of Al_2n. The binding energy per atom of Ni_2n and (NiAl)_n has the same change trend, and that are larger than that of Al_2n. Stability analysis shows that Ni₈, (NiAl)₂ and Al₁₀ clusters have higher relative stability than other clusters. Mulliken analysis indicates that charges always transfer from Al atoms to Ni atoms, and the average charges of transfer from Al atoms to Ni atoms have a maximum at (NiAl)₆, implying the strong interaction between Al and Ni atoms in (NiAl)₆. The average atomic magnetic moments of (NiAl)_n are smaller than that of true Ni_2n. The analysis of the static polarizability shows that the electronic structures of (NiAl)_n clusters tend to be compact with the increase of atoms.     

Density functional theory study on the structural properties and energetics of microclusters

Density functional theory calculations with B3LYP exchange-correlation functional using CEP-121G basis set have been carried out in order to elucidate the structural properties and energetics of neutral zinc telluride clusters, Zn_mTe_n (m+n6), in their ground states. The geometric structures, binding energies, vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities, Mulliken charges on atoms, HOMO and LUMO energies, the most possible dissociation channels and their corresponding energies for the clusters have been considered.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of Pd-Ni multilayers: Study using density functional theory

Electronic and magnetic properties of Pd-Ni multilayers have been studied using VASP method in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT). The calculations performed for different configurations (Pd_n/Ni_m(1 1 1), where n Pd layers are piled up over m Ni layers with n=0 to 4 and n+m=4), reveal that the important magnetic moment of Ni is significantly enhanced according as n increases due to hybridization effects between Pd and Ni mostly localized at the interface. The results also indicate that the Pd atoms are strongly polarized in the studied systems when compared with the pure metal.