Impact of silicon dopant on the absorption and Raman spectroscopy of metal clusters with seven atoms

The structural, optical, and magnetic properties of silicon-doped copper, silver, and gold clusters with D_5h symmetry and seven atoms have been investigated using density functional theory calculations. The global optimized structures of silicon-doped metal clusters are predicted to have a higher HOMO–LUMO gap and higher binding energy than nondoped metal clusters, and nondoped metal clusters have a higher magnetic moment than silicon-doped metal clusters. The silicon doping in metal clusters changes absorption strength and range of absorption wavelength. The silicon dopant also provides a significant impact on the absorption and Raman spectroscopy of nondoped metal clusters. The Raman activities of silicon-doped and nondoped metal clusters are helpful in determining the size and structure of the experimental clusters.