Computational Cogitation of Cn@Al12 Clusters |
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| Authors: | Dr. Benjamin J. Irving Dr. Fedor Y. Naumkin |
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| Affiliation: | Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4 (Canada) |
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| Abstract: | A variety of novel CnAl12 core–shell nanoclusters have been investigated using density functional calculations. A series of Cn cores (n=1–4) have been encapsulated by icosahedral Al12, with characteristic physical properties (energetics and stabilities, ionisation energies, electron affinities) calculated for each cluster. Other isomers, with the Cn moiety bound externally to the Al12 shell, have also been studied. For both series, a peak in stability was found for n(C)=2, a characteristic that appears to be inextricably linked with the relaxation of the constituent parts upon dissociation. Analysis of trends for ionisation energies and electron affinities includes evaluation of contributions from the carbon and aluminium components, which highlights the effects of composition and morphology on cluster properties. |
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| Keywords: | aluminum carbon cluster compounds density functional calculations structure– property relationships |
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