Geometries, stabilities, and electronic properties of Be-doped gold clusters: a density functional theory study

We have systematically investigated the geometrical structures, relative stabilities and electronic properties of small bimetallic AunBe (n = 1, 2, . . . , 8) clusters using a density functional method at BP86 level. The optimized geometries reveal that the impurity beryllium atom dramatically affects the structures of the Aun clusters. The averaged binding energies, fragmentation energies, second-order difference of energies, the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps and chemical hardness are investigated. All of them exhibit a pronounced odd-even alternation, manifesting that the clusters with even number of gold atoms possess relatively higher stabilities. Especially, the linear Au2Be cluster is magic cluster with the most stable chemical stability. According to the natural population analysis, it is found that charge-transferring direction between Au atom and Be atom changes at the size of n = 4.     

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of boron cluster anions doped with aluminum: BnAl- (2≤n≤9)

The geometrical structures, relative stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small B n Al (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) clusters are systematically investigated by using the first-principles density functional theory. The results show that the Al atom prefers to reside either on the outer-side or above the surface, but not in the centre of the clusters in all of the most stable B n Al (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) isomers and the one excess electron is strong enough to modify the geometries of some specific sizes of the neutral clusters. All the results of the analysis for the fragmentation energies, the second-order difference of energies, and the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps show that B 4 Al and B 8 Al clusters each have a higher relative stability. Especially, the B 8 Al cluster has the most enhanced chemical stability. Furthermore, both the local magnetic moments and the total magnetic moments display a pronounced odd-even oscillation with the number of boron atoms, and the magnetic effects arise mainly from the boron atoms except for the B 7 Al and B 9 Al clusters.     

A comparative study on geometries,stabilities, and electronic properties between bimetallic AgnX（X=Au,Cu;n=1-8）and pure silver clusters

Using the meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) exchange correlation TPSS functional, the geo- metric structures, the relative stabilities, and the electronic properties of bimetallic Ag n X (X=Au, Cu; n=1–8) clusters are systematically investigated and compared with those of pure silver clusters. The optimized structures show that the transition point from preferentially planar to three-dimensional structure occurs at n = 6 for the Ag n Au clusters, and at n = 5 for Ag n Cu clusters. For different-sized Ag n X clusters, one X (X=Au or Cu) atom substituted Ag n+1 structure is a dominant growth pattern. The calculated fragmentation energies, second-order differences in energies, and the highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) energy gaps show interesting odd–even oscillation behaviours, indicating that Ag 2,4,6,8 and Ag 1,3,5,7 X (X=Au, Cu) clusters keep high stabilities in comparison with their neighbouring clusters. The natural population analysis reveals that the charges transfer from the Ag n host to the impurity atom except for the Ag 2 Cu cluster. Moreover, vertical ionization potential (VIP), vertical electronic affinity (VEA), and chemical hardness (η) are discussed and compared in depth. The same odd–even oscillations are found for the VIP and η of the Ag n X (X=Au, Cu; n=1–8) clusters.     

Structural,electronic,and magnetic properties in FeAlAu_n(n=1–6)clusters:A first-principles study

The geometries,electronic and magnetic properties of the trimetallic clusters Fe Al Aun(n = 1–6) are systematically investigated using density functional theory(DFT).A number of new isomers are obtained to probe the structural evolutions.All doped clusters show larger relative binding energies than pure Aun+2partners,indicating that doping with Fe and Al atoms can stabilize the Aun clusters.The highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(HOMO–LUMO) gaps,vertical ionization potentials and vertical electron affinities are also studied and compared with those of pure gold clusters.Magnetism calculations demonstrate that the magnetic moments of Fe Al Aun clusters each show a pronounced odd–even oscillation with the number of Au atoms.     

First-Principles Study of Geometries,Stabilities and Electronic Properties of Ca2Sin （n=1-11） Clusters

The equilibrium geometries, relative stabilities, and electronic properties of Ca2Sin （n = 1-11） clusters have been systematically investigated by using the density function theory at the 6-311G （d） level The optimized geometries indicate that the most stable isomers have three-dimensional structures for n = 3-11. The electronic properties of Ca2 Sin （n = 1-11） dusters axe obtained through the analysis of the natural charge population, natural electron configuration, vertical ionization potential, and vertical electron affinity. The results show that the charges in corresponding Ca2Sin clusters transfer from the Ca atoms to the Sin host. Based on the obtained lowest-energy geometries, the size dependence of cluster properties, such as averaged binding energies, fragmentation energies, second-order energy differences, HOMO- LUMO gaps and chemical hardness, are deeply discussed.     

A density functional theoretical investigation of RhSin（n = 1-6） clusters

This paper computationally investigates the RhSin （n = 1 6） clusters by using a density functional approach. Geometry optimizations of the RhSin （n = 1 6） clusters are carried out at the B3LYP level employing LanL2DZ basis sets. It presents and discusses the equilibrium geometries of the RhSin （n = 1-6） clusters as well as the corresponding averaged binding energies, fragmentation energies, natural populations, magnetic properties, and the energy gaps between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. Theoretical results show that the most stable RhSin（n = 1-6） isomers keep an analogous framework of the corresponding Sin＋1 clusters, the RhSi3 is the most stable cluster in RhSin （n = 1-6） isomers. Furthermore, the charges of the lowest-energy RhSin （n = 1-6） clusters transfer mainly from Si atom to Rh atom. Meanwhile, the magnetic moments of the RhSin（n = 1-6） arises from the 4d orbits of Rh atom. Finally, compared with the Sin＋1 cluster, the chemical stability RhSin clusters are universally improved.     

Structures and electronic properties of SimN8-m（0 〈 m 〈 8） clusters： a density functional theory study

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.     

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.     

The geometry structures and electronic properties of Li_mB_n(m+n=12) clusters

The geometric structures, electronic properties, total and binding energies, harmonic frequencies, the highest occupied molecular orbital to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, and the vertical ionization potential energies of small LimBn （m＋ n = 12） clusters were investigated by the density functional theory B3LYP with a 6-31 I＋G （2d, 2p） basis set. All the calculations were performed using the Gaussian09 program. For the study of the LimBn clusters, the global minimum of the B 12 cluster was chosen as the starting point and the boron atoms were gradually replaced by Li atoms. The results showed that as the number of Li atoms increased, the stability of the LimBn cluster decreased and the physical and chemical properties became more active. In addition, on average there was a large charge transfer from the Li atoms to the B atoms.     

Structural,electronic, and optical absorption properties of TiO2 nanotube adsorbed with Cu n clusters

The structural,electronic,and optical absorption properties of TiO2 nanotube(TiO2NT)with Cun clusters(n=1–4)adsorbed on its surface have been investigated based on density functional theory calculations.The TiO2NT is constructed by rolling up a(101)sheet of anatase TiO2 around the[1 01]direction;the ground states of Cun/TiO2NT systems are determined by analyzing the average adsorption energies.Calculation results show that odd-even oscillations occur for the average adsorption energy,the Cu–O bond length,and the amount of transferred electrons,with the increase in Cun cluster size;and the Cun/TiO2NTs with odd n’s demonstrate stronger interaction between the Cun cluster and the TiO2NT.Also,the impurity states introduced by the Cun cluster to the band gap of TiO2NT cause an obvious redshift of the optical absorption spectrum toward the visible light region,especially for the even n cases.     

Geometrical,energetic and electronic properties of Au_n-(C_3H_6O)_m complexes(n = 3,5,m≤n):A density functional theory study

<正>The interactions of acetone molecules with clusters of AU_3 and Au_5 are investigated by using a density functional theory(DFT) within a generalized gradient approximation(GGA).The geometries,adsorption energies and deformation electron density distributions are used to analyse these interactions.The present calculations show that more than one acetone molecule can be adsorbed onto small gold clusters,and this adsorption is different from that of single molecule absorption.The coordination number of the adsorption site on the gold cluster is the dominant factor responsible for the strength of the interactions.The effects of the Au-O bond lengths in the complexes on adsorption energies between Au clusters and acetone molecules are also examined.     

The 13-atom encapsulated gold cage clusters

The structure and the magnetic moment of transition metal encapsulated in a Au 12 cage cluster have been studied by using the density functional theory.The results show that all of the transition metal atoms(TMA) can embed into the Au 12 cage and increase the stability of the clusters except Mn.Half of them have the I h or O h symmetry.The curves of binding energy have oscillation characteristics when the extra-nuclear electrons increase;the reason for this may be the interaction between parity changes of extra-nuclear electrons and Au atoms.The curves of highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(HOMO-LUMO) gap also have oscillation characteristics when the extra-nuclear electrons increase.The binding energies of many M@Au 12 clusters are much larger than that of the pure Au 13 cluster,while the gaps of some of them are less than that of Au 13,so maybe Cr@Au 12,Nb@Au 12,and W@Au 12 clusters are most stable in fact.For magnetic calculations,some clusters are quenched totally,but the Au 13 cluster has the largest magnetic moment of 5 μ B.When the number of extra-nuclear electrons of the encapsulated TMA is even,the magnetic moment of relevant M@Au 12 cluster is even,and so are the odd ones.     

Probing structural and electronic properties of divalent metal Mgn+1 and SrMgn (n=2–12) clusters and their anions

Divalent metal clusters have received great attention due to the interesting size-induced nonmetal-to-metal transition and fascinating properties dependent on cluster size,shape,and doping.In this work,the combination of the CALYPSO code and density functional theory(DFT)optimization is employed to explore the structural properties of neutral and anionic Mg_n+1 and SrMgn(n=2-12)clusters.The results exhibit that as the atomic number of Mg increases,Sr atoms are more likely to replace Mg atoms located in the skeleton convex cap.By analyzing the binding energy,second-order energy difference and the charge transfer,it can be found the SrMg9 cluster with tower framework presents outstanding stability in a studied size range.Further,bonding characteristic analysis reveals that the stability of SrMg9 can be improved due to the strong s-p interaction among the atomic orbitals of Sr and Mg atoms.     

Hydrogen storage capabilities of the most stable isomers of NanBm (m+n=6) clusters

The most stable isomers of NanBm(m+n=6) clusters and their hydrogen storage properties are investigated by means of density functional theory with a 6-311+G(d) basis set. To study the hydrogen storage properties,all of the stable structures of Na n BmHx (m+n=6) clusters have been optimized. It shows that boron atoms of Na n B m are separated from the other boron atoms,and form satellite BHx (x=3,4) clusters around the centre,which attach to the system by a bridging bond of a hydrogen atom or an Na atom. Compared with the hydrogen storage capabilities,the Na3B3 has the highest hydrogen storage capacity among Na n B m clusters. The binding energies,interaction energies of hydrogen atom with Na n B m clusters and second difference in energy of Na3B3Hx clusters have been calculated. The results show that the stability of the Na n B m H x clusters present an odd-even oscillatory effect,as the number of H atoms increases.     

Geometries,stabilities, and electronic properties analysis in In_nNi~((0,±1)) clusters: Molecular modeling and DFT calculations

Density functional theory(DFT) with the B3 LYP method and the SDD basis set is selected to investigate In_nNi,In_nNi~-, and In_nNi~+ (n = 1–14) clusters. For neutral and charged systems, several isomers and different multiplicities are studied with the aim to confirm the most stable structures. The structural evolution of neutral, cationic, and anionic In_nNi clusters, which favors the three-dimensional structures for n = 3–14. The main configurations of the In_nNi isomers are not affected by adding or removing an electron, the order of their stabilities is also nearly not affected. The obtained binding energy exhibits that the Ni-doped In_(13) cluster is the most stable species of all different sized clusters. The calculated fragmentation energy and the second-order energy difference as a function of the cluster size exhibit a pronounced even–odd alternation phenomenon. The electronic properties including energy gap(E_g), adiabatic electron affinity(AEA), vertical electron detachment energy(VDE), adiabatic ionization potential energy(AIP), and vertical ionization potential energy(VIP) are studied. The total magnetic moments show that the different magnetic moments depend on the number of the In atoms for charged In_nNi. Additionally, the natural population analysis of In_nNi~((0,±1)clusters is also discussed.     

Structures and electronic properties of AUn-1Cu and AUn （n ≤ 9） clusters

A systematic study on the structure and electronic properties of gold clusters doped each with one copper atom has been performed using the density functional theory. The average bond lengths in the Aun-1Cu （n ≤ 9） bimetallic clusters are shorter than those in the corresponding pure gold clusters. The ionization potentials of the bimetallic clusters Aun-1Cu （n 〈 9） are larger than those of the corresponding homoatomic gold clusters except for Aus. The energy gaps of the Au-Cu binary clusters are narrower than those of the Aun clusters except AuCu and Au3Cu. No obvious even-odd effect exists in the variations of the electron affinities and ionization potentials for the Aun-1Cu （n ≤ 9） clusters, which is in contrast to the case of gold clusters Aun.     

Effects of O defects on adsorption of small Ag clusterson a MgO(001) surface

The interaction of Ag atoms with a defective MgO(001) surface is systematically studied based on density functional theory. The Ag clusters are deposited on neutral and charged oxygen vacancies of the MgO(001) surface. The structures of Ag clusters take the shape of simple models of two- or three-dimensional (2D and 3D) metal particles deposited on the MgO surface. When the nucleation of the metal clusters occurs in the F_s (missing neutral O) centre, the interaction with the substrate is considerably stronger than that in the F_s⁺ (missing O^- ) centre. The results show that the adsorption of Ag atoms on the MgO surface with oxygen vacancy is stronger than on a clear MgO surface, thereby attracting more Ag atoms to cluster together, and forming atomic islands.     

Nonlinear Interaction and Entanglement Transfer from SU（1,1） Coherent State to Mixed Atoms

For nonlinear interactions with different forms of intensity-dependent coupling, entanglement transfer from the correlated two-mode SU（1,1） coherent states （SCS） to the initially separable and mixed atoms is investigated. It is found that suitable intensity-dependent coupling can enhance the entanglement transfer and make the atomic entanglement evolve periodically especially for the initially mixed atomic states. For SCS, the entanglement between the two modes is strengthened with the increase of the photon number difference （PND） between the two modes of the fields. When PND is odd, the entanglement between the atoms is less than that when PND is even.     

Structural,electronic, and magnetic properties of boron cluster anions doped with aluminum：BnAl-（2〈n〈9）

The geometrical structures, relative stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small BnAl-（2〈n〈9）clusters are systematicalyy investigated by using the first-principles density functional theory. The results show that the A1 atom prefers to reside either on the outer-side or above the surface, but not in the centre of the clusters in all of the most stable BnAl-（2〈n〈9） isomers and the one excess electron is strong enough to modify the geometries of some specific sizes of the neutral clusters. All the results of the analysis for the fragmentation energies, the second-order difference of energies, and the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps show that B4A1- and B8A1- clusters each have a higher relative stability. Especially, the BsA1-cluster has the most enhanced chemical stability. Furthermore, both the local magnetic moments and the total magnetic moments display a pronounced oddeven oscillation with the number of boron atoms, and the magnetic effects arise mainly from the boron atoms except for the B7A1- and BgA1- clusters.     

Density functional theory study of Mg2Nin （n = 1-8） clustersDensity functional theory study of Mg2Nin （n = 1-8） clustersDensity functional theory study of Mg2Nin （n = 1-8） clustersDensity functional theory study of Mg2Nin （n = 1-8） clustersDensity functional theory study of Mg2Nin （n = 1-8） clusters

The density functional theory B3PW91 with LANL2DZ basis sets has been used to study the possible geometries of Mg2Nin （n - 1-8） clusters. For the lowest energy structures of the clusters, stabilities, electronic properties, and natural bond orbital （NBO） are calculated and discussed. The results show that the doped Mg atoms reduce the stabilities of pure Ni clusters. The Mg2Ni2, Mg2Ni4, and Mg2Ni6 clusters are more stable than neighboring clusters. The system appears magic number characteristics. In addition, the hybridization phenomenon occurs, owing to the interaction of Mg and Ni. The result of charge transfer is that Ni atom is negative and the Mg atom is positive. We also conclude that the 3p and 4d orbitals of the Ni atom have an effect on the stabilities of the clusters.