Mixed-Metal Clusters of Palladium

The importance of palladium complexes in catalytic processes is well-demonstrated by its applications in hydrogenation processes in industry. Mixed metal clusters of palladium are of interest as the palladium ion can attain either a 16- or 18-electron configuration which is an important feature for catalytic processes. Recent developments in the preparation, characterization, chemical and physical properties of these clusters are discussed in this review.     

Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoclusters on Molecularly Modified GaAs

The elaboration of closed-packed monolayers of Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ clusters on oxidized and non-oxidized GaAs surfaces is reported. The first part of this work describes the use of silanethiol modified GaAs oxide surfaces to trap 18 nm gold colloids and Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ clusters. The surfaces characterized by AFM measurements present high-quality coverage on a quite long range for both metallic species. The second part is devoted to the elaboration of Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ cluster monolayers on non-oxidized p-type GaAs substrates, functionalized with dithiol molecules. AFM measurements demonstrate the presence of closed-packed two-dimensional arrangements of Au₅₅ clusters.     

Study of Structures and Electronic Properties of Pdn–1Pb and Pdn （n≤8） Clusters

Geometric and electronic properties of Pdn–1Pb and Pdn (n≤8) clusters have been studied by using density functional theory with effective core potentials, focusing on the differences between mono- and bimetallic clusters. The average bond length of Pdn–1Pb (n≤8) bimetallic clusters is longer than that of pure palladium clusters except for n = 2 and 3. The most stable structure of Pdn–1Pb (n≤7) is the singlet where there is at least a Pd or Pb atom on its excited state. The energy gaps of Pd–Pb binary clusters are narrower than those of Pdn clusters, and then the chemical activity is strengthened when Pdn clusters are doped with Pb.     

Scaling Function Between the Exponential-6 and the Generalized Lennard-Jones Potential Functions

The van der Waals forces for non-bonded interaction can be expressed either by the Exponential-6 or by the Lennard-Jones(m-n) potential functions, whereby m > n. Hitherto a relationship exists between the Exponential-6 and the Lennard-Jones(12-6) potential functions, with a scaling factor = 13.772 at or near the equilibrium and = 12.0 for long range interaction. This paper attempts to develop relationships between Exponential-6 and a more generalized Lennard-Jones(m-n). Analysis reveals that the relationship exists only when n = 6 and that two sets of scaling factors (as functions of index m) applies for the relationship between Exponential-6 and the Lennard-Jones(m-6), whereby m > 6.     

Reaction of ruthenium carbonylcarbide cluster Ru6C(CO)17 with nickelocene and pentamethylcyclopentadiene

The reaction of cluster Ru₆C(CO)₁₇ (1) with nickelocene is studied. Five CO ligands rather than a metal-ligand crown are substituted for two cyclopentadienyl groups to give a new complex Ru₆C(⁵-Cp)₂(CO)₁₂ (2). The reaction of cluster1 with entamethylcyclopentadiene leads to new complex Ru₆C(-¹⁵-CH₂C₅Me₄)(CO)₁₄ (3) containing the cr-bond CH₂-Ru, along with an ⁵-coordinated cyclopentadienyl ring.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1171–1172, June, 1995.     

First principles study of small palladium cluster growth and isomerization

Structures and physical properties of small palladium clusters Pd_n up to n = 15 and several selected larger clusters were studied using density functional theory under the generalized gradient approximation. It was found that small Pd_n clusters begin to grow 3‐dimensionally at n = 4 and evolve into symmetric geometric configurations, such as icosahedral and fcc‐like, near n = 15. Several isomers with nearly degenerate average binding energies were found to coexist and the physical properties of these clusters were calculated. For several selected isomers, relatively moderate energy barriers for structural interchange for a given cluster size were found, implying that isomerization could readily occur under ambient conditions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Preparation and reactivity of metal-containing monomers

Mono- and disubstituted cluster metal-containing monomers were obtained under mild conditions on interaction of Rh₆(CO)₁₆ with 4-vinylpyridine (4-ViPy) in the presence of N-trimethylaminoxide. These products were characterized by IR and¹H NMR spectroscopy and by elemental and X-ray analyses. Rh₆(CO)₁₅(4-ViPy) was found to be an octahedral cluster with eleven terminal and four ₃-bridging carbonyl ligands. 4-ViPy is linked with the Rh(3) atom through the N atom and occupies the coordination site of the twelfth CO terminal ligand. The mean value of the Rh-Rh bond length is 2.762 Å. The unsaturated ligand has little or no effect on the geometry of the starting cluster and its double bond retains the ability to undergo addition reactions.For part 28, seeRuss. Chem. Bull., 1993, 453.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 975–979, May, 1993.     

CnBδ(δ=0, ±1; n =1～6)团簇的结构、稳定性和光谱

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)的B3LYP方法,在6-31G*和6-311＋G(3df)水平上对C_nB(n=1～6)团簇及其阴离子和阳离子的几何构型和电子结构进行了优化和振动频率计算.得到了C_nB(n=1～6)团簇的电离能,绝热电子亲合势以及C_nB^δ(δ=0,±1)团簇的能隙.结果表明C_nB^－(n=1～6)团簇的基态构型均为线形,这与等电子的C_n簇合物的结构是一致的; C_nB(n=1～6)团簇的基态构型中,除C₂B为不对称的三角形,C₆B为具有C_2v对称性的环状结构外,其余均为线形结构.阳离子团簇中n=2、3、6的基态结构具有C_2v对称性外,其它几个均为线形结构.从几何参数和振动频率上发现,采用密度泛函B3LYP方法在6-311＋G(3df)和6-31G*两种基组上计算得到的键长参数和振动频率非常接近,说明B3LYP方法在计算C_nB簇合物结构参数上对于基组的选择是不太敏感的.通过对C_nB(n=1～6)的光电子能谱性质的研究发现,C₄B容易获得一个电子形成阴离子团簇,但失去一个电子是很困难的,这与实验上观测到的结果非常吻合.     

Virial expansion for a polymer with a realistic pair-potential interaction

No modern theory of polymer excluded volume adequately describes the crossover from poor solvent to good solvent conditions; a fundamental difficulty is a singularity in the binary cluster integral. Mayer expansion techniques are applied to a model with a pair interaction between monomers to clarify the distinction between geometric and solvent contributions to excluded volume. Detailed calculations are undertaken for a hard-core potential and a mimic Lennard-Jones potential. The significance of the singularity in the binary cluster integral for calculations in the crossover regime is discussed.     

Nonequilibrium dynamics of a diffusion-limited reaction driven by a cluster-memory mechanism

The diffusion-limited reaction A+AA+B is studied in general dimension. The asymptotic decay of the system is found to depend nontrivially upon the initial concentration of A particles for certain ranges of the diffusion constant, backward reaction rate, and total concentration of particles. This nonequilibrium behavior is due to the formation of clusters centered about the initial A particles. A perturbative analysis ind=1 shows that the transition to the nonequilibrium dynamics is sharp and is quite similar to another previously studied reaction A+AA. Ford>1, a scaling argument is presented which describes the dependence of the asymptotic decay on the initial concentration of A particles and the equilibrium concentration for large backward reaction rates. Monte Carlo data are shown which confirm the analytic work ind=1, 2, and 3.