Magnetic properties of nickel clusters

We use a variation of the Stern-Gerlach experiment to study the magnetic behavior of transition metal clusters. We report measurements of the magnetic properties of nickel clusters as a function of cluster size, vibrational temperature, and applied magnetic field. Results for these nickel clusters resemble those previously published for cobalt clusters in that superparamagnetic behavior is observed. As is the case for cobalt clusters, nickel clusters are observed to have magnetic moments per atom that are greater than the bulk value.     

Thermal properties of ferromagnetic clusters

The magnetic moments and heat capacities of small iron, cobalt and nickel clusters in a molecular beam have been measured as a function of their size and temperature. The magnetic moment of nickel and cobalt clusters decreases with increasing size and with increasing temperature, slowly converging to the bulk magnetization curve as the cluster size increases. Heat capacity measurement of the clusters in the beam reveals that the magnetic contribution to the heat capacity is well approximated using mean field concepts, combined with measured magnetic properties. In contrast, iron clusters show anomalies, both in the magnetic moments as well as in the heat capacities. We speculate that these effects reflect a sensitivity of the magnetic order on structure as in bulk iron.     

Analysis of the reactivity of small cobalt clusters

The electronic structures of small cobalt clusters have been calculated within the local spin density approximation using the LCAO method. The calculations were done for simple geometries with the optimized number of interatomic bonds, and both for the bond length of the cobalt dimer and the bulk metal. The Fermi energy is found to be smaller for Co _N clusters withN=3, 4, 5 andN>10 than for the other ones. The variation of the Fermi energy with the cluster size correlates in a striking way with the observed H₂ tendency for chemisorption as found for cobalt clusters in a supersonic beam. Furthermore, the magnetic moments are somewhat smaller for these active clusters. In addition the lowest unoccupied levels of majority spin appear close to the highest occupied levels of minority spin which is not the case for the inert clusters.     

CO oxidation on Pt nanoclusters, size and coverage effects: a density functional theory study

CO oxidation on Pt nanoclusters of approximately 1 nm in size was studied using density functional theory (DFT). Reaction barriers on various sites of a cuboctahedral 55-atom cluster and of several two-layer plane clusters representing (111) and (100) facets of the 147-atom cluster have been calculated at various coverage. The effect of atomic structure of various clusters was discussed. It was concluded that the 147-atom cuboctahedral cluster reveals properties of the Pt single crystal surfaces, while a 55-atom cluster cannot be fully described in terms of Pt single crystal surfaces. It was found that CO oxidation may occur faster at higher coverage and that for cluster sizes up to a few nanometers in size, larger platinum clusters can be more efficient in CO oxidation than the smaller clusters. The size effect was found to depend upon coverage.     

The CO stretch frequency of fully CO covered Ag-clusters in dependence on cluster size

Silver clusters Ag_n prepared either by the gas aggregation technique (GAT) or by matrix aggregation of Ag were embedded in CO and CO/Ar-matrices. The vibrational CO stretch frequency at the monolayer coverage, which is found on bulk silver at 2110 cm^-1, preserves its value with decreasing particle size, Ag_n n≥300. For smaller clusters a decrease of this frequency with decreasing size was observed. For the smallest investigated clusters Ag_n, n～30, a value of 2080 cm^-1 was obtained. The weakening of the CO bond is an indication of a charge transfer from the cluster to the CO monolayer. This result is in accordance with the surface plasmon absorption measurements of Ag-clusters isolated in CO matrices.     

Oxidation of Ni13 clusters

We perform ab initio calculations to investigate Ni₁₃ clusters reaction under an oxygen atmosphere. We dynamically evaluate the effect on structural, electronic, and magnetic properties for pristine and oxidated clusters. As oxygen chemisorption increases, the pristine icosahedral cluster tends to adopt a cubic sodium chloride configuration, resistant to further oxidation. Although each chemisorbed O atom draws one electron, the cluster magnetization stays in the 4-8 μ _B range, with magnetic moment localized at Ni atoms. Oxygen effect on the electronic structure is to hybridize O(p) − Ni(s, d) among low-lying occupied states and to induce a HOMO-LUMO gap opening, while also shifting downwards the electronic band edges, making them favorably aligned with photocatalytic reactions.     

Hydrogen dissociative chemisorption and desorption on saturated subnano palladium clusters (Pdn, n = 2-9)

H(2) sequential dissociative chemisorption on small palladium clusters was studied using density functional theory. The chosen clusters Pd(n) (n = 2-9) are of the lowest energy structures for each n. H(2) dissociative chemisorption and subsequent H atom migration on the bare Pd clusters were found to be nearly barrierless. The dissociative chemisorption energy of H(2) and the desorption energy of H atom in general decrease with the coverage of H atoms and thus the catalytic efficiency decreases as the H loading increases. These energies at full cluster saturation were identified and found to vary in small energy ranges regardless of cluster size. As H loading increases, the clusters gradually change their bonding from metallic character to covalent character. For the selected Pd clusters, the capacity to adsorb H atoms increases almost proportionally with cluster size; however, it was found that the capacity of Pd clusters to adsorb H atoms is, on average, substantially smaller than that of small Pt clusters, suggesting that the catalytic efficiency of Pt nanoparticles is superior to Pd nanoparticles in catalyzing dissociative chemisorption of H(2) molecules.     

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.     

Magnetic deflection of neutral metal clusters in a beam

A new apparatus for measuring the magnetic properties of metal clusters has been constructed. The technique involves the conventional Stern-Gerlach deflection scheme together with modern pulsed laser vaporization source technology and time of flight mass spectrometry. High field seeking monodirectional deflections have been measured for cobalt clusters containing between 40 and 400 atoms. The measured magnetic moments per atom are found to be lower than the known values for the bulk. Special attention has been given to velocity measurements of the metal clusters and the carrier gas atoms in the beam. The residence time of the particles in the source cavity has been measured.     

Structure, bonding, and magnetism in manganese clusters

We investigate the structures and magnetic properties of small Mn(n) clusters in the size range of 2-13 atoms using first-principles density functional theory. We arrive at the lowest energy structures for clusters in this size range by simultaneously optimizing the cluster geometries, total spins, and relative orientations of individual atomic moments. The results for the net magnetic moments for the optimal clusters are in good agreement with experiment. The magnetic behavior of Mn(n) clusters in the size range studied in this work ranges from ferromagnetic ordering (large net cluster moment) for the smallest (n=2, 3, and 4) clusters to a near degeneracy between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic solutions in the vicinity of n=5 and 6 to a clear preference for antiferromagnetic (small net cluster moment) ordering at n=7 and beyond. We study the details of this evolution and present a picture in which bonding in these clusters predominantly occurs due to a transfer of electrons from antibonding 4s levels to minority 3d levels.     

Influence of stoichiometry and charge state on the structure and reactivity of cobalt oxide clusters with CO

Cationic and anionic cobalt oxide clusters, generated by laser vaporization, were studied using guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry to obtain insight into their structure and reactivity with carbon monoxide. Anionic clusters having the stoichiometries Co2O3(-), Co2O5(-), Co3O5(-) and Co3O6(-) were found to exhibit dominant products corresponding to the transfer of a single oxygen atom to CO, indicating the formation of CO 2. Cationic clusters, in contrast, displayed products resulting from the adsorption of CO onto the cluster accompanied by the loss of either molecular O 2 or cobalt oxide units. In addition, collision induced dissociation experiments were conducted with N 2 and inert xenon gas for the anionic clusters, and xenon gas for the cationic clusters. It was found that cationic clusters fragment preferentially through the loss of molecular O 2 whereas anionic clusters tend to lose both atomic oxygen and cobalt oxide units. To further analyze how stoichiometry and ionic charge state influence the structure of cobalt oxide clusters and their reactivity with CO, first principles theoretical electronic structure studies within the density functional theory framework were performed. The calculations show that the enhanced reactivity of specific anionic cobalt oxides with CO is due to their relatively low atomic oxygen dissociation energy which makes the oxidation of CO energetically favorable. For cationic cobalt oxide clusters, in contrast, the oxygen dissociation energies are calculated to be even lower than for the anionic species. However, in the cationic clusters, oxygen is calculated to bind preferentially in a less activated molecular O 2 form. Furthermore, the CO adsorption energy is calculated to be larger for cationic clusters than for anionic species. Therefore, the experimentally observed displacement of weakly bound O 2 units through the exothermic adsorption of CO onto positively charged cobalt oxides is energetically favorable. Our joint experimental and theoretical findings indicate that positively charged sites in bulk-phase cobalt oxides may serve to bind CO to the catalyst surface and specific negatively charged sites provide the activated oxygen which leads to the formation of CO 2. These results provide molecular level insight into how size, stoichiometry, and ionic charge state influence the oxidation of CO in the presence of cobalt oxides, an important reaction for environmental pollution abatement.     

Size and charge effects on the binding of CO to late transition metal clusters

We report on the size and charge dependence of the C-O stretching frequency, nu(CO), in complexes of CO with gas phase anionic, neutral, and cationic cobalt clusters (Co(n)CO(-0+)), anionic, neutral, and cationic rhodium clusters (Rh(n)CO(-0+)), and cationic nickel clusters (Ni(n)CO(+)) for n up to 37. We develop models, based on the established vibrational spectroscopy of organometallic carbonyl compounds, to understand how cluster size and charge relate to nu(CO) in these complexes. The dominating factor is the available electron density for backdonation from the metal to the CO pi* orbital. Electrostatic effects play a significant but minor role. For the charged clusters, the size trends are related to the dilution of the charge density at the binding site on the cluster as n increases. At large n, nu(CO) approaches asymptotes that are not the same as found for nu(CO) on the single crystal metal surfaces, reflecting differences between binding sites on medium sized clusters and the more highly coordinated metal surface sites.     

氧化铝薄膜表面羰基钼物种的可逆再生

 通过Mo(CO)6的热分解制备了Al2O3薄膜负载的金属钼模型催化剂,并采用热脱附谱(TDS)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)原位研究了CO在金属态Mo/Al2O3模型催化剂表面的化学吸附. 结果表明,在低温下CO可与Al2O3表面的金属钼纳米粒子发生多重配位形成类似于羰基钼的物种. CO在Mo/Al2O3模型催化剂表面的吸附导致Mo 3d XPS峰向高结合能方向位移,所生成的羰基钼物种表现为TDS谱中在240 K处有脱附峰. 负载的金属钼模型表面与体相金属钼的化学性质完全不同,表现出明显的粒子尺寸效应.     

Magnetic properties of 3d-transition-metal alloy clusters: (Fe x Cr1−x ) n

We present results for the magnetic properties of (Fe _x Cr_1?x ) _n alloy clusters obtained by using a tight-binding Hubbard Hamiltonian in the unrestricted Hartree-Fock approximation. The dependence of the average magnetic moment, local magnetic moments, magnetic order, and cohesive energy on the size and composition of the cluster were determined. In agreement with surface calculations, we find that the average magnetic moment of the alloy is larger than that of the cluster of one element. Forn=15 a transition from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic order is obtained forx≈0.4?0.53. We discuss the importance of the overlap interaction in the spin polarized charge distribution of the alloy (e.g., charge transfer, local magnetic moments). The characteristic properties of the mixed clusters are also discussed by comparison with available results for homogeneous clusters.     

Ge_nEu(n=1-13)团簇的结构、电子及磁性质(英文)

利用密度泛函理论在广义梯度近似下研究了GenEu(n=1-13)团簇的生长模式和磁性.结果表明:对于GenEu(n=1-13)团簇的基态结构而言,没有Eu原子陷入笼中.这和SinEu以及其它过渡金属掺杂半导体团簇的生长模式不同.除GeEu团簇外,GenEu(n=2-13)团簇的磁矩均为7μB.团簇的总磁矩与Eu原子的4f轨道磁矩基本相等.Ge、Eu原子间的电荷转移以及Eu原子的5d、6p和6s间的轨道杂化可以增强Eu原子的局域磁矩,却不能增强团簇总磁矩.     

Guided ion-beam studies of the reactions of Co(n)+ (n=2-20) with O2: cobalt cluster-oxide and -dioxide bond energies

The kinetic-energy dependence for the reactions of Co(n)+ (n=2-20) with O2 is measured as a function of kinetic energy over a range of 0 to 10 eV in a guided ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer. A variety of Co(m)+, Co(m)O+, and Co(m)O2+ (m < or = n) product ions is observed, with the dioxide cluster ions dominating the products for all larger clusters. Reaction efficiencies of Co(n)+ cations with O2 are near unity for all but the dimer. Bond dissociation energies for both cobalt cluster oxides and dioxides are derived from threshold analysis of the energy dependence of the endothermic reactions using several different methods. These values show little dependence on cluster size for clusters larger than three atoms. The trends in this thermochemistry and the stabilities of oxygenated cobalt clusters are discussed. The bond energies of Co(n)+-O for larger clusters are found to be very close to the value for desorption of atomic oxygen from bulk-phase cobalt. Rate constants for O2 chemisorption on the cationic clusters are compared with results from previous work on cationic, anionic, and neutral cobalt clusters.     

Low-energy isomer identification, structural evolution, and magnetic properties in manganese-doped gold clusters MnAu(n) (n = 1-16)

The size-dependent electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of Mn-doped gold clusters have been systematically investigated by using relativistic all-electron density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation. A number of new isomers are obtained for neutral MnAu(n) (n = 1-16) clusters to probe the structural evolution. The two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) transition occurs in the size range n = 7-10 with manifest structure competitions. From size n = 13 to n = 16, the MnAu(n) prefers a gold cage structure with Mn atom locating at the center. The relative stabilities of the ground-state MnAu(n) clusters show a pronounced odd-even oscillation with the number of Au atoms. The magnetic moments of MnAu(n) clusters vary from 3 μ(B) to 6 μ(B) with the different cluster size, suggesting that nonmagnetic Au(n) clusters can serve as a flexible host to tailor the dopant's magnetism, which has potential applications in new nanomaterials with tunable magnetic properties.     

Density functional based calculations for Fen (n⩽32)

We investigate magnetic and structural properties of iron clusters up to Fe₃₂, well extending into the size range accessible by experiment. A density-functional based tight-binding scheme fully incorporating the effects of spin polarisation and charge transfer in a self-consistent manner has been used. The potential hypersurfaces have been scanned by an unconstrained search using a genetic algorithm. Results for smaller clusters up to Fe₁₇ are validated against more sophisticated density functional theory calculations. Our magnetic moment data show a strong change around Fe₁₃ being unique in this size range. For the larger cluster sizes a smooth decrease of the clusters average spin magnetic moments is found in good agreement with experimental data.     

Structures and electronic properties of small FeB n (n=1-10) clusters

The geometries, stabilities, electronic properties, and magnetism of FeB(n) clusters up to n=10 are systematically studied with density functional theory. We find that our optimized structures of FeB(2), FeB(3), FeB(4), and FeB(5) clusters are more stable than those proposed in previous literature. The results show that it is favorable for the Fe atom to locate at the surface, not at the center of the cluster, and that FeB(4) and FeB(9) clusters exhibit high stability. For all the FeB(n) clusters studied, we find the charge transfer from Fe to B site and the coexistence of ionic and covalent bonding characteristics. The computed total magnetic moments of the lowest-energy structures oscillate with the cluster size and are quenched at n=4, 6, 8, and 10.