Occurrence, shape, and dimensions of large surface hemimicelles made of semifluorinated alkanes. Elongated versus circular Hemimicelles. Pit- and tip-centered hemimicelles

The formation of large (approximately 20-35 nm) surface hemimicelles in monolayers of semifluorinated alkanes, C(n)F(2)(n)(+1)C(m)H(2)(m)(+1) (FnHm), observed after transfer onto silicon wafers, is a general phenomenon. F6H16 and F8H14 exclusively form highly monodisperse circular hemimicelles, organized in a hexagonal array. The other FnHm investigated form both circular and elongated hemimicelles. The longer FnHm is, the larger the area fraction of elongated micelles; both the hydrocarbon block (H-block) and the fluorocarbon block (F-block) affect this area fraction. The length of the elongated micelles increases with the total length of the diblocks. The diameter of the circular micelles increases with the length of the H-block but, unexpectedly, not with that of the F-block. Model calculations account for these observations. Close examination of the circular micelles showed that they generally present a pit or a tip at their center. The width of the elongated micelles is comparable to the radius of the circular micelles, suggesting that the latter arise from a partition of elongated micelles, followed by coalescence of the edges of the resulting fragments. The elongated micelles become shorter and fewer when surface pressure increases, further suggesting a conversion of elongated into circular micelles. This conversion is reversible. The surface pressure-molecular area isotherms do not present any feature that forebears the existence of hemimicelles. The obtaining of stable surface patterns from simple, "nonpolar" molecular fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon diblocks opens a new approach for producing featured nanostructures from organic templates.     

Thermal and ion-induced surface reactions of 1,1-difluoroethylene on Si(111)7 x 7 and vitreous SiO2

Thermal and ion-induced reactions of 1,1-difluoroethylene (1,1-C2H2F2 or iso-DFE) on Si(111)7 x 7 and vitreous SiO2 surfaces have been investigated by vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy and thermal desorption spectrometry. Like ethylene, iso-DFE predominantly chemisorbs via a [2 + 2] cycloaddition mechanism onto the 7 x 7 surface as a di-sigma-bonded difluoroethane-1,2-diyl adstructure, which undergoes H abstraction and defluorination, producing hydrocarbon fragments and SiF(x) (x = 1-3) upon annealing to >700 K. Ion irradiation of Si(111)7 x 7 in iso-DFE at 50 eV impact energy appears to substantially enhance the production of hydrocarbon fragments and SiF(x)(), leading to stronger SiF4 desorption products over an extended temperature range (400-900 K). The observed SiC and SiF(x) produced on the 7 x 7 surface by ion irradiation in iso-DFE are found to be similar to those obtained by ion irradiation in the fluoromethane homologues, CF4 and CH2F2. The production of higher relative concentrations for the larger SiF(x) and C2-containing fragments is evidently favored on the 7 x 7 surface. On a vitreous SiO2 surface, ion irradiation in iso-DFE, unlike that in CF4 and CH2F2, appears to produce less SiF(x) than that on the 7 x 7 surface, which indicates that surface O does not interact strongly with the C2-containing fragments. The presence or absence of a C=C bond and the relative F-to-C ratio of the sputtering gas could therefore produce important effects on the resulting surface products obtained by low-energy ion irradiation.     

Equilibrium and dynamic surface tension properties of partially fluorinated quaternary ammonium salt gemini surfactants

The equilibrium and dynamic surface tension properties of a partially fluorinated quaternary ammonium salt gemini surfactant 1,2-bis[dimethyl-(3-perfluoroalkyl-2-hydroxypropyl)ammonium]ethane bromide (C(n)(F)C3-2-C3C(n)F, where n represents fluorocarbon chain lengths of 4, 6, and 8) were investigated, and the effects of the fluorocarbon chain length and the number of chains on them were discussed. The plot of the logarithm of the critical micelle concentration (cmc) against the fluorocarbon chain length for C(n)(F)C3-2-C3C(n)F showed a linear decrease with an increase in chain length. On the basis of the slope of this plot, it was found that the variation in cmc with respect to the chain length is large for fluorinated gemini surfactants. The surface tension at the cmc decreased significantly; this surface tension value is lower than that of conventional fluorinated monomeric surfactants. In particular, the lowest value was 13.7 mN m(-1) for n = 8. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the kinetics of adsorption at the interface decrease with an increase in the fluorocarbon chain length and the concentration.     

Structural studies of the phase, aggregation and surface behaviour of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium halide + water mixtures

The surface, phase and aggregation behaviour of mixtures of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium halide, [C(n)mim]X, where n is the alkyl chain length, with water has been explored using a variety of methods. Critical micelle concentrations (cmc) and micelle structures have been determined for aqueous [C(n)mim]Br solutions for n=2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements reveal that for the n=8 and 10 systems, at concentrations just above the cmc, small near-spherical aggregates exist, which, after initial growth, possess core radii (aggregation numbers) at intermediate concentrations of 10.5+/-0.5 Angstrom (22+/-2) and 13.2+/-0.5 Angstrom (40+/-3), respectively, for n=8 and n=10. Towards higher concentrations, the aggregates appear to grow, with the aggregates in the [C(10)mim]Br system becoming increasingly elongated (prolate) with increasing concentration. No evident aggregates are formed in the systems with n=2 and 4. In the n=6 system, it appears that oblate aggregates with radius approximately 9 Angstrom form at the cmc and that the radius increases with increasing concentration. For longer alkyl chain lengths, at high concentrations lyotropic mesophases form in some systems. The mesophase region for the [C(8)mim]Cl system has been explored across the composition range using X-ray diffraction and (2)H NMR spectroscopy. Both techniques suggest that a major hexagonal phase with lattice parameter of 29.5+/-0.5 Angstrom coexists with a minor lamellar phase (23.5+/-0.3 Angstrom) or possibly a second hexagonal phase (27.1+/-0.4 Angstrom). The area per adsorbed molecule at the surface of [C(8)mim]Br solutions has been measured as a function of concentration using neutron reflectometry. A minimum in the area per molecule behaviour is coincident with a minimum identified in the surface tension isotherm occurring close to the cmc. The data suggest depletion of [C(8)mim]Br from the surface region occurs at concentrations immediately above the cmc.     

Formation and emission of gold and silver carbide cluster ions in a single C60- surface impact at keV energies: experiment and calculations

Impact of fullerene ions (C(60)(-)) on a metallic surface at keV kinetic energies and under single collision conditions is used as an efficient way for generating gas phase carbide cluster ions of gold and silver, which were rarely explored before. Positively and negatively charged cluster ions, Au(n)C(m)(+) (n = 1-5, 1 ≤ m ≤ 12), Ag(n)C(m)(+) (n = 1-7, 1 ≤ m ≤ 7), Au(n)C(m)(-) (n = 1-5, 1 ≤ m ≤ 10), and Ag(n)C(m)(-) (n = 1-3, 1 ≤ m ≤ 6), were observed. The Au(3)C(2)(+) and Ag(3)C(2)(+) clusters are the most abundant cations in the corresponding mass spectra. Pronounced odd/even intensity alternations were observed for nearly all Au(n)C(m)(+/-) and Ag(n)C(m)(+/-) series. The time dependence of signal intensity for selected positive ions was measured over a broad range of C(60)(-) impact energies and fluxes. A few orders of magnitude immediate signal jump instantaneous with the C(60)(-) ion beam opening was observed, followed by a nearly constant plateau. It is concluded that the overall process of the fullerene collision and formation∕ejection of the carbidic species can be described as a single impact event where the shattering of the incoming C(60)(-) ion into small C(m) fragments occurs nearly instantaneously with the (multiple) pickup of metal atoms and resulting emission of the carbide clusters. Density functional theory calculations showed that the most stable configuration of the Au(n)C(m)(+) (n = 1, 2) clusters is a linear carbon chain with one or two terminal gold atoms correspondingly (except for a bent configuration of Au(2)C(+)). The calculated AuC(m) adiabatic ionization energies showed parity alternations in agreement with the measured intensity alternations of the corresponding ions. The Au(3)C(2)(+) ion possesses a basic Au(2)C(2) acetylide structure with a π-coordinated third gold atom, forming a π-complex structure of the type [Au(π-Au(2)C(2))](+). The calculation shows meaningful contributions of direct gold-gold bonding to the overall stability of the Au(3)C(2)(+) complex.     

Study on the carbon fragment anions produced by femtosecond laser ablation of solid C60

Production of the anions (negative ions) has been observed by femtosecond laser ablation (fsLA) of solid C(60) with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. In contrast to C(60)(+), production of C(60)(-) due to an electron capture is found very limited because of the small electron affinity of the C(60) molecule. Narrow TOF peaks of small carbon fragment anions C(n)(-) (n ≤ 23) suggest instantaneous production of the fragment anions through dissociative ionization of C(60). Production of the mono-hydrogenated carbon fragment anions C(n)H(-) has been observed and also the abrupt change in the yield of C(n)H(-) has been observed at n = 10, which is attributed to the structural change of the carbon fragments from a linear chain to a monocyclic ring. The results are found similar to those obtained for the carbon fragments produced by nanosecond laser ablation (nsLA) of solid C(60), which demonstrates that the thermalization in an ablation plasma washes away any difference in the nature of carbon fragments produced by fsLA and nsLA.     

Interaction energy of a water molecule with a single-layer graphitic surface modeled by hydrogen- and fluorine-terminated clusters

In ab initio calculations a finite graphitic cluster model is often used to approximate the interaction energy of a water molecule with an infinite single-layer graphitic surface (graphene). In previous studies, the graphitic cluster model is a collection of fused benzene rings terminated by hydrogen atoms. In this study, the effect of using fluorine instead of hydrogen atoms for terminating the cluster model is examined to clarify the role of the boundary. The interaction energy of a water molecule with the graphitic cluster was computed using ab initio methods at the MP2 level of theory and with the 6-31G(d = 0.25) basis set. The interaction energy of a water molecule with graphene is estimated by extrapolation of two series of increasing size graphitic cluster models (C(6n2)H(6n) and C(6n2)F(6n), n = 1-3). Two fixed orientations of water molecule are considered: (a) both hydrogen atoms of water pointing toward the cluster (mode A) and (b) both hydrogen atoms of water pointing away from the cluster (mode B). The interaction energies for water mode A are found to be -2.39 and -2.49 kcal/mol for C(6n2)H(6n) and C(6n2)F(6n) cluster models, respectively. For water mode B, the interaction energies are -2.32 and -2.44 kcal/mol for C(6n2)H(6n) and C(6n2)F(6n) cluster models, respectively.     

Quantum chemical simulations of water adsorption on a diamond (100) surface with vacancy defects

Results from quantum chemical calculations of the structural, electronic, and energy characteristics of the chemisorption of water on a diamond C(100)-(2 × 1) surface with a vacancy defect are presented. The metastable state of the surface with an adsorbed H₂O molecule and possible configurations of the surface with adsorbed -H and -OH water dissociation fragments are described. It is shown that the presence of a vacancy on the surface decreases the activation energy of the dissociative adsorption of a water molecule.     

Quantum state resolved scattering from room-temperature ionic liquids: the role of cation versus anion structure at the interface

We present results on state-resolved scattering studies for seeded CO(2) supersonically cooled molecular beams (E(inc) = 61.9(40) kJ/mol) from a series of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). These RTILs are composed of C(n)-methylimidazolium cations with BF(4)(-) or Tf(2)N(-) counteranions. The final rovibrational quantum state distributions from these nonequilibrium surface scattering collisions are monitored by high-resolution diode laser absorption spectroscopy as a function of (i) cation alkyl chain length and (ii) anion size, and analyzed to yield the propensity for thermal desorption (TD) versus impulsive scattering (IS) dynamics. For a fixed BF(4)(-) or Tf(2)N(-) counteranion, the distributions reveal an increase in the TD fraction (α) with the C atom number (n) in the alkyl side chain, which provides evidence for selective preference of nonpolar groups at the gas-liquid interface with increasing chain length. Conversely, for short carbon chains (n = 4), the thermal fraction decreases when the anion is changed from a compact and less polarizable BF(4)(-) to the bulkier and more polarizable Tf(2)N(-), whereas any sensitivity to anion identity essentially vanishes for longer alkyl chains (n = 8, 12). These combined data illustrate a number of interesting trends in anion versus cation competition for interfacial sites, specifically (i) the presence of interfacial anions at the surface layer for sufficiently short alkyl headgroups, (ii) inertial "stiffening" due to increasing average surface mass, as well as (iii) a propensity for larger anion sizes in the interfacial region. Finally, the TD probabilities follow the exact opposite trend in "bulk" Henry's Law solubility constants with respect to anion size, which further highlights the intrinsically nonequilibrium dynamics sampled by hyperthermal collisions at the gas-liquid interface.     

Charging of silver bromide aqueous interface: Evaluation of enthalpy and entropy of interfacial reactions from surface potential data

Dependence of surface potential (electrostatic potential at the inner Helmholtz plane, Ψ(0)) at the silver bromide aqueous electrolyte interface was measured as a function of the activities of Br(-) and Ag(+) by using a single crystal silver bromide electrode (SCr-AgBr). Absolute values of surface potentials were obtained from electrode potentials of SCr-AgBr and isoelectric points. Measurements were performed at different temperatures in the range from 10 to 50°C. Corresponding equilibrium constants of interfacial reactions were obtained using the surface complexation model and interpreted via the van't Hoff equation. As a result of the interpretation for the binding of bromide ions leading to a negative surface charge, the thermodynamic parameters obtained were Δ(n)H(°)=-33kJmol(-1) and Δ(n)S(°)=-31Jmol(-1)K(-1); and for the binding of silver ions leading to a positive surface charge, Δ(p)H(°)=-72kJmol(-1) and Δ(p)S(°)=-196Jmol(-1)K(-1). Association of counterions (CI) with oppositely charged surface sites partially compensates the surface charge. Assuming approximately the same affinities for anions (NO(3)(-)) and cations (K(+)) thermodynamic parameters for their binding were obtained as Δ(CI)H(°)≈7kJmol(-1) and Δ(CI)S(°)≈105Jmol(-1)K(-1).     

Surface adsorption of zwitterionic surfactants: n-alkyl phosphocholines characterised by surface tensiometry and neutron reflection

The surface adsorption of n-dodecyl phosphocholine (C12PC) has been characterised by a combined measurement of surface tension and neutron reflectivity. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) was found to be 0.91 mM at 25 degrees C in pure water. At the CMC, the limiting area per molecule (A(cmc)) was found to be 52+/-3 A2 and the surface tension (gamma(cmc)) to be ca. 40.0+/-0.5 mN/m. The parallel study of chain isomer n-hexadecyl phosphocholine (C16PC) showed a decrease of the CMC to 0.012 mM and a drop of gamma(cmc) to 38.1+/-0.5 mN/m. However, A(cmc) for C16PC was found to be 54+/-3 A2, showing that increase in alkyl chain length by four methylene groups has little effect on A(cmc). The almost constant A(cmc) suggested that the limiting area per molecule was determined by the bulky PC head group. It was further found that the surface tension and related key physical parameters did not vary much with temperature, salt addition, solution pH or any combination of these, thus showing that surface adsorption and solution aggregation from PC surfactants is largely similar to the zwitterionic betaine surfactants and is distinctly different from ionic and non-ionic surfactants. The thickness of the adsorbed monolayers measured from both dC12hPC and dC16hPC was found to be 20-22 A at the CMC from neutron reflectivity. Neither A(cmc) nor layer thickness varied with alkyl chain length, indicating that as the alkyl chain length became longer it was further tilted away from the surface normal direction and the layer packing density increased. It was also observed that the thickness of the layer varied little with surfactant concentration, indicating that the average conformational orientation of the alkyl chain remained unchanged against varying surface coverage.     

Photodissociation dynamics of acetoxime in gas phase

The dynamics of photodissociation of acetoxime at 193 nm, leading to the formation of (CH3)2C=N and OH fragments, has been investigated. The nascent OH radicals, which are both rotationally and vibrationally excited, were probed by laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. OH fragments in both v" = 1 and v" = 0 vibrational states were detected with a ratio of population in the higher to lower level of 0.07+/-0.01. The rotational temperatures of v" = 0 and 1 levels of OH radicals are 2650+/-150 K and 1290+/-20 K, respectively. More than 30% of the available energy, i.e., 115+/-21 kJ mol(-1) is partitioned into the relative translational energy of the fragments. The results of excited electronic state and transition state calculations at the configuration interaction with single electronic excitation level suggest that the dissociation takes place with an exit barrier of approximately 126 kJ mol(-1) at the triplet state (T2) potential energy surface, formed by internal conversions/intersystem crossing from the initially populated S2 state. Using the calculated transition state geometry and its energy, the observed energy distribution pattern can be reproduced by the hybrid model within experimental uncertainties. The presence of an exit barrier is further supported by the observation of N-OH dissociation upon 248 nm excitation, where the relative translational energy of the fragments is found to be approximately 96 kJ mol(-1). The photodissociation dynamics of acetoxime is compared with C-OH dissociation in enols and carboxylic acid and N-OH dissociation in nitrous acid. The observed emission (lambda(max)=430 nm) and the N-OH dissociation dynamics indicate crossing of the initially populated state to an emissive state of acetoxime, which is different from the dissociative state.     

In vitro surface biocompatibility of high-content silicon-substituted calcium phosphate ceramics

The present work investigates surface biocompatibility of silicon-substituted calcium phosphate ceramics. Different silicon-substituted calcium phosphate ceramic bodies were prepared from co-precipitated powders by sintering at 1300°C. The in vitro bioactivity of the ceramics was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37°C for periods up to 4 weeks. The changes in the surface morphology and composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with electron probe microanalysis and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDX). Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to observe the change in ionic concentration of SBF after removal of the samples. The bioactivity of the ceramics increased with an increasing silicate ion substitution in a systematic way. The surface of ceramics with 2.23% silicon substitution was partially covered with apatite layer after one week, while ceramics with 8.1% silicon substitution were completely covered with apatite in the first week. The porous microstructure of high-concentration Si-substituted ceramics helps the dissolution of surface ions and the leaching process. This allows SBF to reach supersaturation in a short time and accelerate the deposition of apatite layer.      

Adsorption behavior of surface chemically pure N-cycloalkylaldonamides at the air/water interface

Equilibrium surface tension (sigma(e)) and electric surface potential (DeltaV(e)) versus concentration isotherms of the homologous series of N-cycloalkylaldonamides synthesized from cycloalkylamines (from cyclopentyl- to cyclododecylamine) and D-glucono-1,5-lactone (c-C(n)GA) or D-glucoheptono-1,4-lactone (c-C(n)GHA) (c-n(C) = 5-12) were investigated at the air/water interface. The measurements were performed with aqueous, surface chemically pure surfactant solutions. Equilibrium surface tension vs concentration isotherms were evaluated to get the adsorption parameters, i.e., standard free energy of adsorption, DeltaG degrees (ads), saturation surface concentration, Gamma(infinity), minimum surface area demand per molecule adsorbed, A(min), and interaction parameter, H(s). Increasing the size of the cycloalkyl moiety leads to a significant increase of the minimum surface area demand per molecule adsorbed. This fact, together with a decrease of the intermolecular interaction parameter suggests that the introduction of a more bulky cycloalkyl ring (c-n(C) = 7 and 8) causes an attenuation of the hydrogen-bond network. This goes in line with the exceptional finding that the higher homologues revealed improved solubility in water. In addition, surface tension investigations suggest occurrence of a phase transition for the N-cyclooctylaldonamides at relatively small surface coverage. This observation is well supported by the surface potential measurements, for which the effect of possible changes in the molecules' surface orientation is even more pronounced. Moreover, the concentration intervals of N-cyclooctylaldonamide in which the change in orientation is observed for either the surface tension or the surface potential isotherms are in very good agreement.     

Retrosynthetic analysis of fullerene C(60): structure, stereochemistry, and calculated stability of C(30) fragments.

The total number of possible retrosynthetic bisections of C(60) leads to nine different isometric C(30) fragments. These molecules include five chiral units, four of which derive from partitions corresponding to four distinct "Coupes du Roi". The energies, curvatures, and homodesmotic stabilization energies of the C(30) fragments are evaluated at the ab initio 6-31G level.     

Energy density analysis of cluster size dependence of surface-molecule interactions: H2, C2H2, C2H4, and CO adsorption onto Si(100)-(2x1) surface

Adsorption of H2, C2H2, C2H4, and CO onto a Si(100)-(2x1) surface has been treated theoretically using Si(12n - 3)H(8n + 4) (n = 1-4) clusters. The energy density analysis (EDA) proposed by Nakai has been adopted to examine surface-molecule interactions for different cluster sizes. EDA results for the largest model cluster Si45H36 have shown that the adsorption-induced energy density variation in Si atoms decays with distance from the adsorption site. Analysis of this decay, which can be carried out using the EDA technique, is important because it enables verification of the reliability of the model cluster used. In the cases of H2, C2H2, C2H4, and CO adsorption onto the Si(100)-(2x1) surface, it is found that at least a Si21H20 cluster is necessary to treat the surface-molecule interaction with chemical accuracy.     

Synthesis and properties of ionic liquid-type Gemini imidazolium surfactants

A series of ionic liquid-type Gemini imidazolium surfactants with four-methylene spacer groups were synthesized ([C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2), n=10, 12, 14). The surface activity and thermodynamic properties of micellization between the Gemini imidazolium surfactants and their corresponding monomers ([C(n)mim]Br, n=10, 12, 14) were compared by means of surface tension and electrical conductivity measurements. The values of cmc, gamma(cmc), pc(20), Gamma(max), and A(min) derived from surface tension measurement at 25 degrees C suggest that the surface activity of [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) is higher than that of [C(n)mim]Br. While the thermodynamic parameters of micellization (DeltaG(m)(o), DeltaH(m)(o), DeltaS(m)(o)) derived from electrical conductivity indicate that the micellization of [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) is entropy-driven, aggregation of [C(n)mim]Br is entropy-driven at low temperature but enthalpy-driven at high temperature. Finally, the activation energy of conductance (E(a)) that is associated with the effective charge is also obtained for [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) and it is constant below the cmc, but it increases above the cmc.     

A reversibly switching block copolymer surface

We present linear (AB)(n)() multiblock copolymers that exhibit a thermally induced reversible alteration of the surface composition at a sharply defined transition temperature T(s) of 120-170 degrees C depending on the polymer structure. At temperatures below T(s) the surface consists of block A, a 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (4,4'-MDI) type polyurea, whereas above T(s) the hydrophobic block B, a poly(ricinoleic acid hexanediol ester) dominates the surface composition. The ratio of surface concentrations c(A)/c(B) changes by a factor of at least 1000 within an analyzed depth of approximately 10 A. The full A-B surface transition is obtained within minutes. A mechanism is proposed where microphase crystallization of block A in the bulk effectively locks surface segregation of the hydrophobic block B, yielding an A-rich surface. The topology of the copolymers imposes sufficient restrictions for the lateral separation of the connected constituents such that surface segregation is largely reduced. Only above the transition temperature T(s) of microphase crystallization of block A can block B segregate to the surface, yielding a B-rich surface. Such a scheme of competing self-organizing processes in copolymers may potentially be used to reversibly switch surface properties such as adhesion and wetting in various applications.     

Size and surface effects on the magnetic properties of NiO nanoparticles

NiO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a sol-gel process using the citrate route. The sol-gel parameters were tuned to obtain samples with different average particle sizes, ranging from 12 to 70 nm. Magnetic characterization revealed an increase in the blocking temperature with the diameter of the NPs and an increase in the effective magnetic anisotropy (K(eff)) with decreasing particle size. The magnetic moment per particle was calculated for all samples using the susceptibility value at T = 300 K. The number of uncompensated spins per NP was found to be proportional to n (n(S)≡ total number of spins), indicating that they are randomly distributed on the NP surface. For small diameters (<30 nm) the surface anisotropy constant was estimated, using, for NiO NPs, a recent model describing the evolution of K(eff) with particle size. Hysteretic loops performed at low temperatures after field cooling displayed loop shifts (～6.5 kOe in the field axis and ～0.18 emu g(-1) vertically), coercive field enhancement (H(C)≈ 4.8 kOe) and training effects for the smaller NPs. The sample with NPs of larger diameters presented magnetic properties close to those of bulk NiO.     

Density functional study of the interaction between small Au clusters, Au(n) (n=1-7) and the rutile TiO2 surface. II. Adsorption on a partially reduced surface

We use density functional theory to examine the electronic structure of small Au(n) (n=1-7) clusters, supported on a rutile TiO(2)(110) surface having oxygen vacancies on the surface (a partially reduced surface). Except for the monomer, the binding energy of all Au clusters to the partially reduced surface is larger by approximately 0.25 eV than the binding energy to a stoichiometric surface. The bonding site and the orientation of the cluster are controlled by the shape of the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) of the free cluster (free cluster means a gas-phase cluster with the same geometry as the supported one). The bond is strong when the lobes of the HOMOs overlap with those of the high-energy states of the clean oxide surface (i.e., with no gold) that have lobes on the bridging and the in-plane oxygen atoms. In other words, the cluster takes a shape and a location that optimizes the contact of its HOMOs with the oxygen atoms. Fivefold coordinated Ti atoms located at a defect site (5c-Ti(*)) participate in the binding only when a protruding lobe of the singly occupied molecular orbital (for odd n) or the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (for even n) of the free Au(n) cluster points toward a 5c-Ti(*) atom. The oxygen vacancy influences the binding energy of the clusters (except for Au(1)) only when they are in direct contact with the defect. The desorption energy and the total charge on clusters that are close to, but do not overlap with, the vacancy differ little from the values they have when the cluster is adsorbed on a stoichiometric surface. The behavior of Au(1) is rather remarkable. The atom prefers to bind directly to the vacancy site with a binding energy of 1.81 eV. However, it also makes a strong bond (1.21 eV) with any 5c-Ti atom even if that atom is far from the vacancy site. In contrast, the binding of a Au monomer to the 5c-Ti atom of a surface without vacancies is weak (0.45 eV). The presence of the vacancy activates the 5c-Ti atoms by populating states at the bottom of the conduction band. These states are delocalized and have lobes protruding out of the surface at the location of the 5c-Ti atoms. It is the overlap of these lobes with the highest orbital of the Au atom that is the major reason for the bonding to the 5c-Ti atom, no matter how far the latter is from the vacancy. The energy for breaking an adsorbed cluster into two adsorbed fragments is smaller than the kinetic energy of the mass-selected clusters deposited on the surface in experiments. However, this is not sufficient for breaking the cluster upon impact with the surface, since only a fraction of the available energy will go into the reaction coordinate for breakup.