Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Icosahedral Transformations in Solid Cu-Co Clusters

We study the icosahedral transformations of solid Cu Co clusters with different initial configurations by using molecular dynamics with the embedded atom method. It is found that the formation of symmetric icosahedral cluster is strongly related to the atomic number and initial configuration. The transformation originates from the surface into the interior of the cluster and is a structural change which is rapid and diffusionless. The icosahedral clusters with any composition and configuration, such as core-shell or three-shell duster, can be prepared by the means of solid-solid phase transition in bimetallic clusters.     

The structure of 55-atom Cu–Au bimetallic clusters: Monte Carlo study

We have investigated segregation phenomena in Cu–Au bimetallic clusters with decahedral structures at 100 K and 300 K, based on the second-moment approximation of the tight-binding (TB-SMA) potentials by using Monte Carlo method. The simulation results indicate that there are three regions (split, three-shell onion-like and core-shell region) at 100 K and two regions (split and core-shell) at 300 K with the structure of decahedral clusters, as the chemical potential difference Δμ changes. It is found that the structure of decahedral clusters undergoes a division into smaller clusters in the split region. In the core-shell structure, Au atoms are enriched in surface and Cu atoms occupy the core of the clusters because of the different surface energy of Cu and Au. The Au atoms are enriched in the surface shell, and the Cu atoms are in the middle shell, while a single Au atom is located in the center to form the three-shell onion-like structure. The structure and binding energy of smaller clusters after splitting are also discussed. The Au atoms generally lie on the surface of the smaller clusters after splitting.     

Surface tensions and stress tensors of liquid and solid clusters by molecular dynamics

Surface tension and pressure (stress) tensors of Lennard-Jones clusters, in the size range 200 ~ 2700 atoms/cluster, formed from evaporating liquid droplets were calculated in a Molecular Dynamics simulation. Icosahedral clusters have a much larger surface tension than decahedral, fcc, and hcp ones, meanwhile asymmetric icosahedral clusters have a lower surface tension. Fcc and hcp clusters have a very small surface tension. Decahedral clusters have a surface tension closer to that of fcc and hcp ones than to that of icosahedral ones, though both icosahedral and decahedral structures have five fold symmetry axis. Binary component clusters have a higher surface tension than single component ones.     

Ternary alloying effect on the melting of metal clusters

Canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulations are applied to investigate the melting of the icosahedral 55-atom Ag-Cu-Au clusters. The clusters are modeled by the second-moment approximation of the tight-binding (TB-SMA) many-body potentials. Results show that the introduction of the only Cu atom of the third alloying metal in the bimetallic Ag₄₃Au₁₂ cluster, forming the Ag₄₂Cu₁Au₁₂ cluster, can greatly increase the melting point of the cluster by about 100 K. It is also found that the substitution of the only Cu atom of the third alloying metal in the Ag₁Au₅₄ clusters, forming the Ag₁Cu₁Au₅₃ cluster, can result in an increase of 40 K in the melting point. It can be concluded that the melting points of the bimetallic clusters can be tuned by the third metal impurities doping. In addition, the surface segregation of Ag atoms in the Ag-Cu-Au trimetallic clusters occurs even after melting.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the freezing of gold nanoparticles

A set of molten gold clusters, each with 1157 gold atoms, was studied by molecular dynamics simulations as the clusters underwent freezing at three different temperatures. Most of the clusters attained an icosahedral structure upon freezing, a structure found to be stable to mild annealing. Other structures observed were imperfect truncated decahedral, truncated octahedral and hexagonal close packed structures. The role of kinetics in the process of cluster solidification is discussed. Received 6 November 2000     

Transition from icosahedral to decahedral structure in a coexisting solid-liquid nickel cluster

We have used molecular dynamics simulations to construct a microcanonical caloric curve for a 1415 atom Ni icosahedron. Prior to melting, the Ni cluster exhibits static solid-liquid phase coexistence. Initially, a partial icosahedral structure coexists with a partially wetting melt. However, at energies very close to the melting point the icosahedral structure is replaced by a truncated decahedral structure that is almost fully wet by the melt. This structure remains until the cluster fully melts. The transition appears to be driven by a preference for the melt to wet the decahedral structure.     

Size- and temperature-dependent structural transitions in gold nanoparticles

Size- and temperature-dependent structural transitions in gold nanoparticles were revealed with morphology statistics obtained by high-resolution electron microscopic observations for thousands of particles annealed in a helium heat bath. We found that gold nanoparticles over a wide size range, 3-14 nm, undergo a structural transformation from icosahedral to decahedral morphology just below the melting points. It was also clarified that the formation of bulk crystalline structures from the decahedral morphology requires the melt-freeze process due to an insurmountable high free-energy barrier.     

Unsupported lead clusters and electron diffraction

A beam of Pb clusters is produced with the inert gas aggregation method and probed by electron diffraction. Analysis of the diffraction patterns indicates that average cluster size can vary between 3 and 7 nm, according to nucleation conditions. The diffraction patterns from beams with larger average cluster size are very similar to patterns calculated from model decahedron clusters, while those for smaller cluster size do not appear to have simple geometrical face-centred cubic, decahedral, or icosahedral structure. Received 30 November 2000     

Irregular phenomenon induced by Ag atomic segregation during the heating process of Ag-Pd cluster

This paper studies the melting of icosahedral Ag-Pd bimetallic clusters by using molecular dynamics with the embedded atom method.It finds that the mixed Ag-Pd cluster shows an irregular phenomenon before melting,i.e.,the atomic energy decreases with the increase of temperature.It indicates that the segregation of Ag atoms results in this phenomenon by analysing atomic radius distribution.Since the surface energy of Ag is lower than that of Pd,this leads to the result that the decreased energy by the Ag atomic segregation is larger than the increased energy by the heating.This provides a new method to obtain irregular thermodynamic properties.     

Novel metal-encapsulated caged clusters of silicon and germanium

We report the recent findings of metal (M) encapsulated clusters of silicon from computer experiments based on ab initio total energy calculations and a cage shrinkage and atom removal approach. Our results show that using a guest atom, it is possible to wrap silicon in fullerenelike (f) structures, as sp² bonding is not favorable to produce empty cages unlike for carbon. Transition M atoms have a strong bonding with the silicon cage that are responsible for the compact structures. The size and structure of the cage change from 14 to 20 Si atoms depending upon the size and valence of the M atom. Fewer Si atoms lead to relatively open structures. We find cubic, f, Frank-Kasper (FK) polyheral type, decahedral, icosahedral and hexagonal structures for M@Si_n with n = 12-16 and several different M atoms. The magic behavior of 15 and 16 atom Si cages is in agreement with experiments. The FK polyhedral cluster, M@Si₁₆ has an exceptionally large density functional gap of about 2.35 eV calculated within the generalized gradient approximation. It is likely to give rise to visible luminescence in these clusters. The cluster-cluster interaction is weak that makes such clusters attractive for cluster assembled materials. Further studies to stabilize Si₂₀ cage with M = Zr, Ba, Sr, and Pb show that in all cases there is a distortion of the f cage. Similar studies on M encapsulated germanium clusters show FK polyhedral and decahedral isomers to be more favorable. Also perfect icosahedral M@Ge₁₂ and M@Sn₁₂ clusters have been obtained with large gaps by doping with divalent M atoms. Recent results of the H interaction with these clusters, hydrogenated silicon fullerenes as well as assemblies of clusters such as nanowires and nanotubes are briefly presented.     

On the role of mechanical stress in the chemical ordering of nanoalloys

Metallic alloy clusters at equilibrium display an inhomogeneous stress field which may contribute to the chemical ordering and segregation properties. We use the example of cuboctahedral and icosahedral Au-Pd clusters with the same size to compare these properties in systems displaying moderately and highly inhomogeneous stress fields. Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations in the semi-grand canonical ensemble are used with an empirical potential to predict equilibrium configurations. Pressure maps are used to estimate stress on each atom. It is found that when the stress field is moderately inhomogeneous, ordering is dominantly driven by thermodynamic forces. In icosahedral clusters, ordering is found to be the consequence of a balance where thermodynamic forces and mechanical stress may conflict or reinforce each other. Order-disorder transitions are smoother in the systems with higher stress inhomogeneity and it is conjectured that, in icosahedral clusters, disorder may nucleate in the central core.     

分子动力学模拟Cu(010)基体对负载Co-Cu双金属团簇熔化过程的影响

纳米团簇负载到基体上的结构演化和热稳定性是其走向技术应用的关键. 本文用分子动力学结合嵌入原子方法模拟了具有二十面体初始结构的Co₂₈₁Cu₂₈₀ 混合双金属团簇在Cu(010)基体上的熔化过程, 考察了基体的Cu原子可以自由移动(自由基体)和固定(固定基体)两种条件对负载团簇熔化的影响. 发现基体条件对团簇的熔化有明显的影响. 在自由基体上团簇原子的温度-能量曲线存在明显的团簇熔化时的能量突变点, 熔点为1320 K, 低于固定基体上团簇的熔点1630 K. 在升温过程中团簇的二十面体结构会在基体表面发生外延生长. 外延团簇随着温度增加发生表面预熔, 预熔原子会逐渐向基体表面扩散形成薄层, 直至完全熔化. 自由基体上团簇原子的嵌入行为会使原子的分布状态产生不同于固定基体上的演变.     

Thermal instability of decahedral structures in platinum nanoparticles

We conduct molecular dynamics simulations of 887 and 1389-atom decahedral platinum nanoparticles using an embedded atom potential. By constructing microcanonical caloric curves, we identify structural transitions from decahedral to fcc in the particles prior to melting. The transitions take place during phase coexistence and appear to occur via melting of the decahedral structure and subsequent recrystallisation into the fcc structure.     

Quantum mechanical aspect of first order phase transition of crystals

Classical molecular dynamics and Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to investigate the thermal stability and melting behaviors of free-standing Pd-Pt bimetallic nanowires (NWs) with pentagonal multi-shell-type (PMS-type) structure in the whole composition range. Equilibrium configurations at 100 K are predicted in the semi-grand canonical ensemble. Pd-Pt PMS-type NWs are stable with a multishell structure of alternating Pd and Pt compositions and Pd segregating systematically to the surface. On thermal heating, an interesting composition-dependent structural transformation from the PMS-type to face-centred-cubic (FCC) by overcoming a high energy barrier is observed for Pd-Pt bimetallic NWs before the melting. Consequently, the system energy is decreased. The FCC structure is found more stable than PMS-type over the whole range of composition. The melting of Pd-Pt bimetallic NWs is also studied. It is found to start at the edges, then propagate over the whole surface, and next to the interior. It occurs in a composition-dependent range of temperature.     

Magnetic anisotropy in icosahedral cobalt clusters

Magnetic anisotropy has been measured in multiply twinned, icosahedral cobalt clusters. It is found that the low-temperature magnetization of deposited cluster layers is well defined with the Stoner–Wohlfarth model by averaging over clusters with a range of anisotropy energy. Anisotropy energy calculation based on Néel's pair model shows that the icosahedral structure and the layer-by-layer growth of the clusters induce oscillations of the magnetic anisotropy as a function of the filling of the outer surface of the particle. The magnetization measurement at room temperature indicates a weakly correlated cluster glass, as deduced from the approach to saturation that is well described with 2D random anisotropy model.     

稳态Cu-Zr二十面体团簇电子结构的密度泛函研究

采用第一原理对以Cu为心的低能稳态Cu_nZ_(r13-n)(n=6,7,8,9)二十面体团簇的电子结构进行计算,结果表明:同一化学组分下,以Cu为心的Cu-Zr二十面体团簇中出现的同类原子聚集现象可以增强团簇的稳定性,降低费米能级(EF)上的电子数N(EF),这为低能稳态团簇拥有较小的N(EF)提供了深层次的理论解释.进一步的差分电子密度与Mulliken布居分析得知,Cu-Zr二十面体中共价键与离子键共存,成键态与反键态共存,且团簇在形成时壳层Zr与中心Cu原子是电子的提供者,壳层Cu是电子的获得者.该电荷转移方向是金属玻璃中以Cu为心的Cu-Zr二十面体团簇普遍遵循的规律,不随团簇的化学序参数及化学组分的变化而变化.计算的红外振动谱为实验上准确表征不同二十面体原子团提供了一种新的思路.     

Size and composition dependence of the frozen structures in Co-based bimetallic clusters

This Letter studies the size-dependent freezing of Co, Co-Ni, and Co-Cu clusters by using molecular dynamics with embedded atom method. Size effect occurs in these three types of clusters. The clusters with large sizes always freeze to form their bulk-like structures. However, the frozen structures for small sizes are generally related to their compositions. The icosahedral clusters are formed for Co clusters (for ?3.2 nm diameter) and also for Co-Ni clusters but at a larger size range (for ?4.08 nm). Upon the Co-Cu clusters, decahedral structure is obtained for small size (for 2.47 nm). The released energy induced the structural transformation plays a key role in the frozen structures. These results indicate that the preformed clusters with special structures can be tuned by controlling their compositions and sizes.     

Surface reconstruction and decahedral structure of bimetallic nanoparticles

We report on energetic surface reconstruction phenomena observed on bimetallic nanoparticle systems of AuPd and AuCu, similar to a resolidification effect observed during the cooling process in lead clusters. These binary alloy nanoparticles show the fivefold edges truncated, resulting in [100] facets on decahedral structures, an effect largely envisioned and reported theoretically, with no experimental evidence so far. We demonstrate experimentally as well as by computational simulations that this new eutectic structure is favored in such nanoalloy systems.     

Single impurity effect on the melting of nanoclusters

We show by molecular dynamics simulations that the melting temperature of clusters can be tuned by selective doping. In fact, a single Ni or Cu impurity in Ag icosahedral clusters considerably increases the melting temperature even for sizes of more than a hundred atoms. The upward shift is correlated to the strain relaxation induced by a small central impurity in icosahedral clusters.     

Surface self-diffusion of a Pt adatom on cuboctahedral and truncated decahedral clusters,size dependence

The self-diffusion of single Pt adatom on the surface of cuboctahedral and truncated decahedral clusters with 561–10 179 atoms are studied within the context of the many-body potentials obtained via the embedded atom method. The minimum energy diffusion path and the corresponding energy barrier for adatom diffusion on the cuboctahedral and truncated decahedral clusters surfaces are determined through a combination of the quenched molecular dynamics and the nudged elastic band method. The calculated energy barriers are consistent with the available experimental data. The dependence of energy barrier for adatom diffusion across the step edge on the cluster size is found. For the larger cuboctahedral and truncated decahedral clusters, the simulations show that the movement of the adatom is confined to a central region, and the adatom may escape from the center region only at elevated temperatures. In addition, we also find that the truncated decahedral structure is more favorable over the cuboctahedral structure for smaller clusters. The cluster growth experiments support our results.