Surface-mediated synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of tantalum clusters on silica

Tantalum clusters were synthesized on the surface of porous silica by treatment of adsorbed Ta(CH(2)Ph)(5) in H(2) at temperatures in the range of 523-723 K. The surface species were characterized by UV-vis, far-infrared, and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies, each of which provided evidence of Ta-Ta bonds similar to those in well-characterized molecular tantalum clusters. The Ta-Ta distance determined by EXAFS spectroscopy was 2.93 A. The chemistry of the cluster synthesis is similar to that of syntheses of similar tantalum clusters in solution. The supported clusters formed at 523 K are characterized by an EXAFS first-shell Ta-Ta coordination number of nearly 2, indicative of tri-tantalum clusters, although it is expected that a mixture of clusters was present, and reduction in H(2) at higher temperatures led to larger tantalum clusters. This is the first example of the surface-mediated synthesis of an early transition metal cluster, and the supported clusters reported here are the first to have been characterized by all three of the spectroscopic methods mentioned above. The similarity of the surface synthesis to that in solution points to opportunities to extend this new class of material to other early transition metal clusters on various supports.     

Magnetic moments of bare and benzene-capped cobalt clusters

Magnetic moments of bare cobalt clusters Co(n) (n=7-32) and benzene-capped cobalt clusters Co(n)(bz)(m) have been measured at temperatures ranging from 54 to 150 K using a molecular beam deflection method. It was observed that Co(12-32) produced at temperatures greater than approximately 100 K display high-field-seeking behavior at all temperatures in the range investigated, indicating that they are superparamagnetic species. At temperatures below approximately 100 K, the field-on beam profiles of Co(7-11) and some larger clusters displayed substantial symmetric broadening, indicating that some fraction of the clusters in the beam were no longer superparamagnetic, but rather were in a blocked (locked-moment) state. In the superparamagnetic regime (T=150 K) Co(n) clusters in the n=7-32 size range were found to possess per-atom moments ranging from 1.96+/-0.04 micro(b)(Co(24)) to 2.53+/-0.04 micro(b)(Co(16)), significantly above the bulk value of 1.72 micro(b). Locked-moment isomers were found to display moments of approximately 1 micro(b) per atom. Cobalt clusters containing a layer of adsorbed benzene molecules were found to possess significantly lower moments per cobalt atom than the corresponding bare cobalt clusters.     

Experimental and computational study of the Zn(n)S(n) and Zn(n)S(n)+ clusters

Zinc sulfide clusters produced by direct laser ablation and analyzed in a time-of-flight mass-spectrometer, showed evidence that clusters composed of 3, 6, and 13 monomer units were ultrastable. The geometry and energies of neutral and positively charged Zn(n)S(n) clusters, up to n = 16, were obtained computationally at the B3LYP/6-311+G level of theory with the assistance of an algorithm to generate all possible structures having predefined constraints. Small neutral and positive clusters were found to have planar geometries, neutral three-dimensional clusters have the geometry of closed-cage polyhedra, and cationic three-dimensional clusters have structures with a pair of two-coordinated atoms. Physical properties of the clusters as a function of size are reported. The relative stability of the positive stoichiometric clusters provides a thermodynamic rationale for the experimental results.     

Experimental and computational study of small (N = 1-16) stoichiometric zinc and cadmium chalcogenide clusters

Zinc selenide, cadmium sulfide, and cadmium selenide clusters were produced by direct laser ablation and analyzed in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The positive-ion mass spectra indicated that clusters composed of six and thirteen monomer units were ultrastable in all cases. The geometries and energies of the neutral and positively charged M(n)X(n) clusters up to n = 16 were obtained computationally at the B3LYP level of theory using the SKBJ basis set for the metal atoms and the SKBJ(d,2df) basis set for the chalcogen atoms. Small neutral and positive clusters (n = 1-4) have planar geometries, neutral three-dimensional clusters have the geometry of closed-cage polyhedra, and cationic three-dimensional clusters have structures with a pair of two-coordinated atoms. Physical properties of the clusters as a function of size are reported. The relative stability of the positive stoichiometric clusters provides a thermodynamic explanation for the relative stability observed experimentally from the laser-ablation mass spectrometry.     

Temperature dependence of formation of nanorods and dots of iodine compounds on an H-terminated Si(111) surface in a concentrated HI solution

Immersion of atomically flat, H-terminated Si(111) surfaces in 7.6 M HI for 0.5 - 4 h caused spontaneous formation of nanosized clusters at the Si surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis suggested that the clusters were composed of silicon iodides (such as SiHxI4-x), produced most probably by Si etching with HI. Atomic force microscopy inspection revealed that the immersion at a low temperature below about 30 degrees C led to the formation of long rod-shaped clusters, oriented in the (112) direction or equivalents, whereas the immersion at a high temperature above 30 degrees C led to the formation of circular dot clusters, their size and shape changing abruptly at about 70 degrees C. It is shown experimentally that the formation of dot clusters at a high immersion temperature is explained on the basis of thermodynamics, whereas that of oriented rod clusters at a low temperature is explained by a kinetics-controlled mechanism.     

Structure of Ag,Fe and Ge microclusters

The structures of Ag, Fe and Ge microclusters were determined using EXAFS. The measurements were performed over a wide range of clusters sizes. The clusters were prepared using the gas aggregation technique and isolated in solid argon at 4.2 K. The measurements were performed at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at beam line X-18B. A strong contraction of the interatomic distances was observed for Ag dimers and multimers. Silver clusters larger than 12 A mean diameter show a small contraction of thenn distance and a structure consistent with an fcc lattice. By contrast clusters smaller than 12 A show the presence of a small expansion and a strong reduction or absence ofnnn in the EXAFS signal. This points towards a different crystallographic structure for Ag microclusters with diameter less than 12 A. In iron clusters we observe a gradual reduction of thenn distance as the cluster size decreases. The interatomic distance for iron dimers was determined to be 1.94 A, in good agreement with earlier measurements. The iron microclusters show a bcc structure down to a mean diameter of 9 A. Iron clusters with 9 A mean diameter show a structure inconsistent with a bcc lattice. The new structure is consistent with an fcc or hcp lattice. The measurements on Ge clusters show the presence of only nearest neighbors. There was clear evidence of temporal annealing as determined by variations in the near edge structure of the K-absorption edge. Absorption edge measurements were also performed for free Ge clusters travelling perpendicular to the direction of the synchrotron radiation beam. The measurements performed on the free clusters were consistent with those obtained for matrix isolated clusters.     

Nucleation,growth, and fractal dimensions of icosahedral and polyicosahedral clusters

In this paper, the concept offractal geometry was applied to the growth of icosahedral and polyicosahedral clusters. Fractal dimensions were calculated for high-frequency icosahedral casters, vertex-sharing polyicosahedral clusters, and linked polyicosahedral clusters. These cluster growth pathways were compared with the fractal growth mechanisms of colloidal particles. Close similarities were found despite the tremendous differences in particle sizes and the forces governing their nucleation and growth processes.Dedicated to Prof. Lawrence F. Dahl on his 65th birthday; based in part on a lecture presented by BKT at the Dahl symposium held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin on September 17, 1994.     

Size dependence of the structures and energetic and electronic properties of gold clusters

The structures and stabilities of gold clusters with up to 14 atoms have been determined by density-functional theory. The structure optimizations and frequency analysis are performed with the Perdew-Wang 1991 gradient-corrected functional combined with the effective core potential and corresponding valence basis set (LANL2DZ). The turnover point from two-dimensional to three-dimensional geometry for gold clusters occurs at Au12. The energetic and electronic properties of the small gold clusters are strongly dependent on sizes and structures, which are in good agreement with experiment and other theoretical calculations. The even-odd oscillation in cluster stability and electronic properties predicted that the clusters with even numbers of atoms were more stable than the neighboring clusters with odd numbers of atoms. The stability and electronic structure properties of gold clusters are also characterized by the maximum hardness principle of chemical reactivity and minimum polarizability principle.     

Evolution of the electronic properties of Snn- clusters (n=4-45) and the semiconductor-to-metal transition

The electronic structure of Sn(n) (-) clusters (n=4-45) was examined using photoelectron spectroscopy at photon energies of 6.424 eV (193 nm) and 4.661 eV (266 nm) to probe the semiconductor-to-metal transition. Well resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained for small Sn(n) (-) clusters (n< or =25), whereas more congested spectra were observed with increasing cluster size. A distinct energy gap was observed in the photoelectron spectra of Sn(n) (-) clusters with n< or =41, suggesting the semiconductor nature of small neutral tin clusters. For Sn(n) (-) clusters with n> or =42, the photoelectron spectra became continuous and no well-defined energy gap was observed, indicating the onset of metallic behavior for the large Sn(n) clusters. The photoelectron spectra thus revealed a distinct semiconductor-to-metal transition for Sn(n) clusters at n=42. The spectra of small Sn(n) (-) clusters (n< or =13) were also compared with those of the corresponding Si(n) (-) and Ge(n) (-) clusters, and similarities were found between the spectra of Sn(n) (-) and those of Ge(n) (-) in this size range, except for Sn(12) (-), which led to the discovery of stannaspherene (the icosahedral Sn(12) (2-)) previously [L. F. Cui et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 8391 (2006)].     

Morphology and phase separation of hydrophobic clusters of soy globular protein polymers

Protein hydrophobic interaction has been considered the most important factor dominating protein folding, aggregation, gelling, self-assembly, adhesion, and cohesion properties. In this paper, morphology and phase separation of hydrophobic clusters, networks, and aggregates of soy globular protein polymers, induced by using a reducing agent (NaHSO3), are studied using microscopic instruments. The morphology and phase separation of these hydrophobic clusters are sensitive to protein structure and composition, pH, and ionic-strength (I(m)). Most of the clusters are in spherical-shape architecture and mainly consist of hydrophobic polypeptides. Rod-shape clusters were also observed at higher ionic strength, and mainly consist of hydrophilic polypeptides. The ratio of hydrophobic/hydrophilic (HB/HL) polypeptides is important to facilitate the formation of clusters in an environment with a certain pH value and ionic strength. At HB/HL 0.8, uniform spherical clusters were observed and diameters ranged from 30 to 70 nm. At HB/HL <0.8, large spherical clusters were formed with diameters ranging from 100 to 1,000 nm, and at HB/HL >or=1.8, large hydrophobic aggregates formed, and size of aggregates can be up to 2 500 nm. When solid content increased from 3% to 38%, at I(m) or= 0.115 mol x L(-1), HB/HL ratio >or=1.8, the large aggregates became very cohesive and viscoelastic. Clear phase separation was observed during curing between hydrophobic and hydrophilic protein polymers. Phase-separation degree increased as HB/HL ratio increased.     

Gas-phase lanthanide chloride clusters: relationships among ESI abundances and DFT structures and energetics

Anionic lanthanide chloride clusters, Ln(n)Cl(3n+1)(-), were produced by electrospray ionization (ESI) of LnCl(3) in isopropanol, where Ln = La-Lu (except Pm); the clusters were characterized using a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. High-abundance "magic number" clusters were apparent at n = 4 for the early Ln (La-Sm), and at n = 5 for the late Ln (Dy-Lu). Density functional theory computations of La(n)Cl(3n+1)(-) and Lu(n)Cl(3n+1)(-) clusters (n = 1-6) indicate that the clusters with n = 4-6 are rings with a central chlorine atom. Computed structures show six-coordinate Ln in distorted octahedral sites in "magic number" La(4)Cl(13)(-) and Lu(5)Cl(16)(-), which have particularly large dissociation energies. For lanthanum, larger anionic chloride clusters with multiple charges of down to -5 were observed; their fragmentation by collision-induced dissociation in the ion trap revealed La(4)Cl(13)(-) as a common product. Gas-phase hydrolysis to Ln(n)Cl(3n+1-y)(OH)(y)(-) (y = 1, 2) was prevalent for the late lanthanides, but only for small clusters, n = 2 or 3; larger clusters were evidently resistant to gas-phase hydrolysis. ESI of selected LnBr(3) and LnI(3) resulted in Ln(n)X(3n+1)(-) clusters (X = Br, I)--in contrast to Ln(n)Cl(3n+1)(-) clusters, the only observed (minor) high-abundance clusters were La(4)Br(13)(-) and Ce(4)Br(13)(-).     

金钯二元小团簇的几何结构与电子性质

在UBP86/LANL2DZ和UB3LYP/def2-TZVP水平下详细研究了AumPdn(m+n≤6)团簇的几何结构和电子性质.阐明了团簇的结构特征、平均结合能、垂直电离势、垂直电子亲和能、电荷转移以及成键特征.除单取代混合团簇(AunPd和AuPdn,n=5或6)外,五和六原子混合团簇中钯原子趋于聚集到一起形成Pdcore,金原子分布在Pdcore周围形成PdcoreAushell结构.含一个和两个钯原子团簇的电子性质与纯金团簇类似,呈现一定奇偶振荡.混合团簇的电子性质,如最高占据分子轨道(HOMO),最低未占据分子轨道(LUMO),垂直电离势,垂直电子亲和能,Fermi能级和化学硬度等均与团簇空间结构和金、钯原子数之比直接相关.混合团簇中存在钯原子到金原子间的电荷转移,表明团簇中存在明显金钯间成键作用.分析团簇的电荷分布、前线轨道和化学硬度表明,金钯混合团簇对小分子如O2、H2和CO等的反应活性要强于纯金团簇.     

Infrared and ab initio studies on 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene clusters with methanol and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol: presence and absence of an aromatic C-H...O hydrogen bond

The (1:1) clusters of 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene (TFB) with methanol and with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) were studied both experimentally and computationally. Through use of fluorescence-detected infrared spectroscopy, the (1:1) clusters were identified in supersonic jets. Intermolecular interactions in the clusters were characterized by the spectral shifts of the aromatic C-H stretching modes in the TFB moiety owing to the cluster formation. The molecular structures, stabilization energies, and vibrational frequencies of the clusters were computed at the MP2/6-31+G level. Both computational and experimental data indicate that an aromatic C-H...O hydrogen bond is present in the TFB-methanol cluster, while it is absent in the TFB-TFE cluster.     

Energy barriers and structural transitions of small Al clusters

Energy barriers between low-lying configurational states were calculated for several small Al clusters. Calculations were carried out considering a model potential comprising two- and three-body interactions. Parameters used in this potential energy function were evaluated from fits to high level ab initio calculations for Al clusters. Energy barriers separating low-lying configurations were found to be in varying heights. Results indicate that isomeric transformations between several low-lying high-symmetry forms of small Al clusters are quite likely and may take place at relatively low temperatures.     

Lifetimes of cagelike water clusters immersed in bulk liquid water: a molecular dynamics study on gas hydrate nucleation mechanisms

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to observe the evolution of cagelike water clusters immersed in bulk liquid water at 250 and 230 K. Totally, we considered four types of clusters--dodecahedral (5(12)) and tetrakaidecahedral (5(12)6(2)) cagelike water clusters filled with or without a methane molecule, respectively. The lifetimes of these clusters were calculated according to their Lindemann index (delta) using the criterion of delta> or =0.07. The lifetimes of the clusters at 230 K are longer than that at 250 K, and their ratios are the same as the ratio of structure relaxation times of bulk water at these temperatures. For both the filled and empty clusters, the lifetimes of 5(12)6(2) cagelike clusters are similar to that of 5(12) cagelike clusters. Although the methane molecules indeed make the filled cagelike water clusters live longer than the empty ones, the empty cagelike water clusters still have the chance of being long lived. These observations support the cluster nucleation hypothesis for the formation mechanisms of gas hydrates.     

Orthokinetic Aggregation in Two Dimensions of Monodisperse and Bidisperse Colloidal Systems

Orthokinetic aggregation of colloids trapped at the air–liquid interface was studied by direct imaging in a couette cell. This method allowed us to follow the temporal evolution of both the cluster-mass distribution and the cluster structure at a shear rate where Brownian aggregation is suppressed. The interactions between the monodisperse latex particles floating at the air–liquid interface were controlled either by varying the electrolyte concentration or by creating a bidisperse system through the addition of small particles. The results show that the clusters in all of the systems are characterized by a high fractal dimension, indicating that the clusters are rearranged and densified by the shear. Kinetic analysis suggests that aggregation of monodisperse systems mainly proceeds through homogeneous aggregation, i.e., large clusters sticking to other large clusters. The bidisperse system, finally, with a size ratio around 10, favored a more heterogeneous aggregation among small and large clusters throughout the aggregation process; a slightly lower fractal dimension was observed compared to the strongly aggregated monodisperse system.     

Comparison of the growth patterns of Si(n) and Ge(n) clusters (n = 25-33)

We performed an unbiased search for low-energy structures of medium-sized neutral Si n and Ge n clusters ( n = 25-33) using a genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with tight-binding interatomic potentials. Structural candidates obtained from our GA search were further optimized by first-principles calculations using density functional theory (DFT). Our approach reproduces well the lowest-energy structures of Si n and Ge n clusters of n = 25-29 compared to previous studies, showing the accuracy and reliability of our approach. In the present study, we pay more attention to determine low-lying isomers of Si n and Ge n ( n = 29-33) and study the growth patterns of these clusters. The B3LYP calculations suggest that the growth pattern of Si n ( n = 25-33) clusters undergoes a transition from prolate to cage at n = 31, while this transition appears at n = 26 from the PBE-calculated results. In the size range of 25-33, the corresponding Ge n clusters hold the prolate growth pattern. The relative stabilities and different structural motifs of Si n and Ge n ( n = 25-33) clusters were studied, and the changes of small cluster structures, when acting as building blocks of large clusters, were also discussed.     

Optical spectra and structure of CdP4 nanoclusters fabricated by incorporation into zeolite and laser ablation

CdP(4) nanoclusters were fabricated by incorporation into the pores of zeolite Na-X and by deposition of the clusters onto a quartz substrate using the laser ablation-evaporation technique. Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of CdP(4) nanoclusters in zeolite were measured at temperatures 4.2, 77, and 293 K. Both absorption and PL spectra consist of two blue-shifted bands. We performed DFT calculations to determine the most stable clusters configuration in the size region up to the size of the zeolite Na-X supercage. The bands observed in absorption and PL spectra were attributed to the emission of (CdP(4))(3) and (CdP(4))(4) clusters with binding energies of 3.78 and 4.37 eV per atom, respectively. The Raman spectrum of CdP(4) clusters in zeolite proved the fact of creation of (CdP(4))(3) and (CdP(4))(4) clusters in zeolite pores. The PL spectrum of CdP(4) clusters produced by laser ablation consists of a single band that was attributed to the emission of the (CdP(4))(4) cluster.     

金镍二元团簇结构和电子性质的理论研究

在UBP86/LANL2DZ和UBP86/def2-TZVP水平下详细研究了AumNin (m＋n≤6)团簇的几何结构和电子性质. 详细地分析了团簇的结构特征, 平均结合能, 垂直电离势, 垂直电子亲和能, 电荷转移以及成键特征. 所有混合团簇中, 镍原子趋于聚集到一起, 形成最多Ni—Ni键, 金原子分布在镍原子聚集体周围以形成最多Au—Ni键. Ni原子较少团簇的电子性质与纯金团簇类似, 呈现一定奇偶振荡. 混合团簇中存在镍到金原子间的电荷转移. Ni原子较少团簇中, 自旋电子主要定域在Ni原子上, Ni原子较多团簇中, Au原子明显受到自旋极化. 混合团簇的分波态密度表明, AuNi混合团簇对小分子的反应活性要高于纯金团簇.     

Cluster-size dependence of alloying behavior in gold clusters

Cluster-size dependence of alloying behavior in nm-sized atom clusters has been studied by transmission electron microscopy, using clusters in the Au-Cu system. It was revealed that occurrence of rapid spontaneous alloying becomes more difficult with increasing cluster size. In gold clusters of approximately 4 nm in the mean size, a rapid dissolution of copper atoms took place and homogeneously mixed Au-Cu alloy clusters were formed. In gold clusters of approximately 10 nm in the mean size, rapid alloying of copper took place only at a shell-shaped region beneath the free surface of individual clusters and pure gold was retained at the central region of clusters. In gold clusters of approximately 30 nm in the mean size, no rapid alloying of copper was induced. The ease with which spontaneous alloying takes place is discussed in terms of the lattice softening in atom clusters.