Fragmentation of water clusters: Molecular-dynamics simulation study

The fragmentation of water clusters, [(H ₂ O)_n;n = 2-8], have been investigated by using molecular-dynamics simulation method. In the simulations a polarizable-dissociable potential energy function for water has been used. Particular attention has bee paid to investigate the effect of structural properties and cluster size on the fragmentation. Received 27 April 2000 and Received in final form 6 October 2000     

Collision-induced fragmentation and neutralization of methanol cluster cations

This contribution addresses the inelastic interaction of positively charged molecular cluster ions with a solid surface at kinetic energies up to 30 eV/molecule. We report experimental results on the scattering of mass-selected, protonated methanol cluster cations (CH₃OH)_nH⁺, n = 4-32, off a diamond-coated silicon surface. In particular we provide fragment size distributions of methanol cluster ions following their impact on the target, as well as surface-induced neutralization probabilities of methanol cluster ions as a function of the size and the kinetic energy of the parent clusters. Received 30 November 2000     

Metastability of gold-carbonyl cluster complexes, Au N(CO) M -

Smaller gold-cluster anions, typified by Au ₇ ^- , adsorb multiple CO molecules in a high-pressure, room-temperature flow-reactor, tending toward previously unknown saturation compositions, Au₇(CO) ₄ ^- . The weakness of the gold-carbonyl adsorption bond is evidenced indirectly by the high CO partial pressure required and more directly by the high probability of fragmentation in the field-free flight region of the reflectron-type time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The analysis of this metastability reveals that the actual distribution f_N,M of products Au₇(CO) _M ^- in the reactor may be highly non-statistical, e.g. with only even-M species present. Received 17 April 2001     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the freezing of gold nanoparticles

A set of molten gold clusters, each with 1157 gold atoms, was studied by molecular dynamics simulations as the clusters underwent freezing at three different temperatures. Most of the clusters attained an icosahedral structure upon freezing, a structure found to be stable to mild annealing. Other structures observed were imperfect truncated decahedral, truncated octahedral and hexagonal close packed structures. The role of kinetics in the process of cluster solidification is discussed. Received 6 November 2000     

Ionic recoil energies in the Coulomb explosion of metal clusters

The photoionization of metal clusters in intense femtosecond laser fields has been studied. In contrast to an experiment on atoms, the interaction in this case leads to a very efficient and high charging of the particle where tens of electrons per atom are ejected from the cluster. The recoil energy distribution of the atomic fragment ions was measured which in the case of lead clusters exceeds 180 keV. Enhanced charging efficiency which we observed earlier for specific pulse conditions is not reflected in the recoil energy spectra. Both the average and the maximum energies decrease with increasing laser pulse width. This is in good agreement with molecular dynamics calculations. Received 20 December 2000     

Radiative cooling of fullerene anions in a storage ring

Thermionic emission from hot fullerene anions, C_N ^-, has been measured in an electrostatic storage ring for even N values from 36 to 96. The decay is quenched by radiative cooling and hence the observations give information on the intensity of thermal radiation from fullerenes. The experiments are analysed by comparison with a simulation which includes the quantisation of photon energy and the statistics of emission. Experiments with heating of the molecules with a laser beam confirm the interpretation of the observations in terms of radiative cooling and give an independent estimate of the cooling rate for C₆₀ ^-. The measured cooling rates agree in general within a factor of two with the prediction from a classical dielectric model of a thermal radiation intensity of ∼ 300 eV/s for C₆₀ at 1 400 K, scaling approximately with the 6th power of the temperature and with the number of atoms in the molecule. Received 12 March 2001 and Received in final form 12 June 2001     

Optical and electrical properties of black gold layers in the far infrared

Black gold layers, prepared by an evaporation process in an inert atmosphere, are an efficient absorber in the far infrared spectral region. Experimental results are presented for their reflectance in the wavelength range between λ=15 μm and 1000 μm, corresponding to a wave number k=1/λ between 10 cm⁻¹ and 650 cm⁻¹. The black gold layers may electrically be either metallic or semiconducting, the metallic ones exhibiting higher absorbance. The layers have a percolated structure whose dielectric properties are described by the Bergman formalism for an effective medium. On the basis of this model, the deviation of the optical properties of the layers from bulk gold are accounted for solely by the topology of the percolated structure. The values derived for the electron collision time in the gold particles and for the percolation factor agree with those derived from the electrical conductivity of the layers and its temperature dependence.     

Ni_n(n=2～20)团簇的结构

使用经验势和遗传算法 (GeneticAlgorithm) ,得到了Nin(n =2～ 2 0 )团簇的平衡结构和束缚能。对于小的团簇 (Ni2 ～Ni6) ,所得到的结果与基于第一性原理密度泛函的计算相一致。结果表明 ,团簇的结构不同于块体且随尺度发生引人注日的变化。每原子平均束缚能Eb 随尺度单调增长。根据过渡金属团簇表面原子配位数与电离势 (IP)的一个解析表达式计算所得的电离势与实验结果基本一致。由基态能量对分裂途径(FragmentationChannels)的分析表明 ,失去二聚体 (Dimer)在能量上是优先的。同时将计算所得的结构与Nin团簇吸收N2 的实验所推得的结构进行了比较     

银团簇结构与特性的分子动力学研究

用分子动力学方法模拟了银团簇的结构与力能学。计算模拟中使用了一种基于第一性原理的原子间互作用多体势函数。通过分子动力学模拟确定了银徽团簇（原子个数3－13）的稳态结构;模拟了原子个数为13－141的银FCC晶体结构理想球形团簇的力能学,发现球形银簇形成三维紧密结构;计算了平均结合能,给出了结合能随团簇原子数N的变化图,发现随N增大团簇结合能逐渐接近块材的数值。     

锰/磷、钛/磷二元团簇的激光溅射产生与光解

利用激光溅射法直接产生了锰／磷、钛／磷二元团簇正、负离子MxPy^±(M=Mn、Ti） ,并用串级飞行时间质谱仪研究了团簇离子的组成与激光光解规律。实验表明钛与磷间成簇的能力强于锰与磷间成簇的能力,且MPy^+(M=Ti、Mn)团簇离子系列表现出峰强度了胡所含磷原子数目的奇偶性变化,这可能与P4结构的特殊稳定性有关。激光光解实验表明,失去中性P2、P4的通道为主要光解通道。随着团簇离子的生长,锰／磷团簇正离子逐渐由富磷簇向富金属簇过渡,钛／磷则趋向于形成钛原子数目与磷原子数目接近相等的团簇正离子,而二者与磷形成的团簇负离子MxPy^-(M=Mn、Ti) 逐渐趋向于x ≈ y,随样品中磷含量增加,锰／磷易形成富磷簇,钛／磷的组成趋向不改变。