Melting properties of mixed Ni13-xAlx(x=0 to 13) clusters

Starting from the configuration full optimized by Genetic Algorithm (GA), the melting behaviors of Binary Ni13-xAlx(x=0 to 13) clusters have been investigated by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations with Metropolis algorithm with a n-body Gupta potential. In contrast to bulk, these clusters have smeared first order transitions occurring over a range of temperature. The melting temperature Tm calculated from Lindemanns criterion vary drastically with concentrations x. For most clusters studied, the average energy per atom E, the relative root-mean-square (rms) bond length fluchuation δ and the heat capacity C per atom related to the energy fluctuation of the system change with temperature in the transition region in manners differing from LJ and alkali metal clusters. For Ni12Al, Ni7Al6, Ni6Al7, Ni5Al8 clusters, there are behaviors characteristic of magic number in C, which do not exist in the pure TM clusters.     

Model calculations of chemisorption on transition metal clusters

Alloying of a transition metal with a non-transition metal affects the nature of the chemical bonds between the transition metal atoms in the surface and hydrogen or other atoms chemisorbed on them. The resultant changes in strength of the chemisorption bonds are due to (1) changes in delocalization of the metal electrons involved in the chemisorption bonds, (2) changes in the number of electrons available for such bonds. Our calculations have shown that the effects of alloying on chemisorption are different for monocoordinated adsorbates (ad-atom on top of metal atom) and tricoordinated adsorbates (ad-atom equidistant to three transition metal atoms) respectively. With localized bonds, alloying increases the strength of the former bond, but weakens the latter. As a result the ratio of monocoordinated to tricoordinated adsorbates, present in equilibrium at high coverage, is drastically increased by this type of alloying. The increase is much larger than expected on a geometrical basis only.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of free and supported transition metal clusters

The spin-polarized relativistic version of the multiple scattering or the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker method for electronic structure calculations has been used to study the electronic and magnetic properties of free and supported transition metal clusters. Corresponding results are presented for the spin- and spin–orbit-induced orbital magnetic moments in free Fe and FePt clusters. For both systems a pronounced enhancement is found for the spin as well as for the orbital moments compared with the corresponding bulk value which diminishes in an oscillatory fashion with increasing cluster size. Corresponding investigations on small Co clusters deposited on a Pt (111) surface also revealed a strong dependence of the magnetic properties on the cluster size and shape. A comparison of our theoretical results with available experimental data led to rather satisfying agreement.     

Electronic structure of propene and 3,3,3-trifluoro-propene and implications for chemisorption behavior

The electronic structures of propene and 3,3,3-trifluoropropene are investigated by core and valence level photoelectron spectroscopies, Hartree-Fock Self-Consistent Field (SCF) calculations and discrete-variational Hartee-Fock-Slater (DV-Xα) calculations. Ionization energies calculated by the DV-Xα method are in good agreement with measured He(I) photoelectron spectra. Orbital eigenvalues obtained from the SCF calculations show an ordering consistent with that exhibited by the DV-Xα ionization energies. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of trifluoropropene was stabilized relative to propene, so that electron accepting ability was enhanced upon fluorination. The spectral assignment and electron accepting properties of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene are discussed in relation to chemisorption interactions on solid surfaces.     

Electronic properties of free and supported metal clusters studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

The electronic properties of free and supported metal clusters are studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. Experimental as well as theoretical results clearly demonstrate a dramatic dependence of the level structure on the cluster size. By this an interesting way might be opened to modify the electronic, optical and chemical properties of surfaces.     

Alternative low-symmetry structure for 13-atom metal clusters

The atomic geometry, electronic structure, and magnetic moment of 4d transition-metal clusters with 13 atoms are studied by pseudopotential density-functional calculations. We find a new buckled biplanar structure with a C(2v) symmetry stabilized by enhanced s-d hybridization. It has a lower energy than the close-packed icosahedral or cuboctahedral structure for elements with more than half-filled d shells. The magnetic moments of this buckled biplanar structure are found to be smaller than those of the icosahedral structure and closer to available experimental results.     

Electronic spectrum and magnetic properties of the Ni(II) telluromolybdate

The room temperature electronic (reflectance) spectrum and the magnetic properties of NiTeMoO₆ in the temperature range 100 – 300 K were investigated in order to obtain a wider insight into the structural properties of the M^IITeMoO₆-type telluromolybdates. The results show that Ni(II) is located in a distorted octahedral environment and that there are important orbital contributions to the magnetic moment. Some data for CdTeMoO₆ and CoTeMoO₆ are also reported.     

Electronic and magnetothermal properties of ferromagnetic clusters

The electronic structures and the magnetothermal properties of nickel clusters have been investigated. Their effective magnetic moments and specific heat capacities have been calculated assuming that the clusters undergo superparamagnetic relaxation. The average magnetic moments are computed adopting Friedel's model of ferromagnetic clusters. The surface effect and the cluster size effect on the thermodynamic properties of these clusters have been analysed based on the mean field theory approximation. The specific heat capacity of Ni clusters for N=300, where N is the number of atoms in the cluster, shows the peak value at T=550 K and exhibits a steady increase with N. The effective potentials and energy eigen values of the clusters as a function of the number of atoms and radius of the cluster have also been calculated self-consistently using the local density approximation (LDA) of the density functional theory (DFT); this has been performed within the framework of the spherical jellium background model (SJBM). The results of this study have been compared with the Stern-Gerlach experimental data and other theoretical results already reported in literature     

Electronic properties of mixed lithium-oxygen clusters

Herein electronic structure as a function of cluster size has been probed through ionization potentials measurements in order to derive general trends in the evolution of the structure and stability of lithium oxide clusters LinOm. The structural evolution was investigated by varying progressively the oxygen rate in order to observe transitions from the metallic Lin to the ionic structure (Li2O)n. We have demonstrated that this structural transition splits into three specific ranges. This result, in contrast with the general behavior observed with other electronegative elements combined with alkaline or alkaline-earth metal clusters, but similar to what is known about BanOm and CsnOm, constitutes a signature of a specific role played by the oxygen atoms when included inside a metallic cluster.     

Electronic structure and magnetism in 4d-transition metal clusters

We analyze the stability of magnetic states obtained within the tight-binding model for cubooctahedral (O_h) and icosahedral (I_h) clusters of early 4d (Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, and Tc) transition metals. Several metastable magnetic clusters are identified which suggests the existence of multiple magnetic solutions in realistic systems. A bulk-like parabolic behavior is observed for the binding energy of O_h and I_h clusters as a function of the atomic number along the 4 d-series. The charge transfer on the central atom changes sign, while the average magnetic moments present an oscillatory behavior as a function of the number of d electrons in the cluster. Our results are in agreement with other theoretical calculations. Received: 20 November 1997 / Received in final form: 9 March 1998 / Accepted: 30 March 1998     

Electronic structure of graphene on Ni(111) and Ni(100) surfaces

Physics of the Solid State - A comparative investigation of graphene prepared by cracking of propylene (C3H6) on nickel surfaces with different orientations, Ni(111) and Ni(100), has been carried...     

A theoretical study of CHx chemisorption on the Ni(100) and Ni(111) surfaces

Cluster model calculations have been performed for CH_x, x = 0−3, chemisorbed on Ni(100) and Ni(111). The predicted chemisorption energies, at the present level of theory, based on bond-prepared clusters for Ni(100) are for carbon 150 kcal/mol, for CH 136 kcal/mol, for CH₂ 91 kcal/mol and for CH₃ 46 kcal/mol. The corresponding energies for Ni(111) are for CH 120 kcal/mol, for CH₂ 88 cal/mol and for CH₃ 49 kcal/mol. These chemisorption energies lead to similar stabilities for all CH_x fragments on both Ni(100) and Ni(111). Large basis sets and multi-reference correlation treatments are found to be very important in particular for the multiply bonded species. The vibrational C-H stretching frequencies predicted for CH_x on Ni(111) are for CH 3054 cm⁻¹ (2980 cm⁻¹), for CH₂ 3204 cm⁻¹ and for CH₃ 2709 cm⁻¹ (2680 cm⁻¹), where the available experimental values are given in parent The predicted ionization spectra of adsorbed CH_x are also in general agreement with experimental findings.     

Oxygen and silver clusters: transition from chemisorption to oxidation

We use the adsorption probabilities of molecular nitrogen and oxygen to study the physi- and chemisorption on small silver particles. The physisorption of nitrogen is governed by the structure of the particle surface. The sticking of oxygen additionally involves the electronic configuration of the metal cluster. At 77 K molecular oxygen sticks chemisorbed to the particles with a transfer of one electron. At temperatures above 105 K the chemisorption transforms into oxidation, invoking the dissociation of the oxygen molecule and the loss of a single oxygen atom.     

Symmetry and magnetic properties of transition metal clusters

The magnetic properties of 55-atom Fe, Co and Ni clusters are studied using the local spin-density formalism. The dependence of magnetic moment on cluster symmetry is found to be also cluster size dependent. The symmetry of cluster plays an important role in determining the charge distribution. The surface magnetism enhancement are found to be decreased from Fe to Ni.