Xiaoqing Liang

Structures and Electronic Properties of V3Sin- (n=3-14) Clusters: A Combined Ab Initio and Experimental Study

The anionic silicon clusters doped with three boron atoms, B3Sin- (n = 4-10), have been generated by laser vaporization and investigated by anion photoelectron spectroscopy. The vertical detachment energies (VDEs) and adiabatic detachment energies (ADEs) of these anionic clusters are determined. The lowest energy structures of B3Sin- (n = 4-10) clusters are globally searched using genetic algorithm incorporated with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The photoelectron spectra, VDEs, ADEs of these B3Sin- clusters (n = 4-10) are simulated using B3LYP/6-311+G(d) calculations. Satisfactory agreement is found between theory and experiment. Most of the lowest-energy structures of B3Sin- (n = 4-10) clusters can be derived by using the squashed pentagonal bipyramid structure of B3Si4- as the major building unit. Analyses of natural charge populations show that the boron atoms always possess negative charges, and that the electrons transfer from the 3s orbital of silicon and the 2s orbital of boron to the 2p orbital of boron. The calculated average binding energies, second-order differences of energies, and the HOMO-LUMO gaps show that B3Si6- and B3Si9- clusters have relatively high stability and enhanced chemical inertness. In particular, the B3Si9- cluster with high symmetry (C3v) stands out as an interesting superatom cluster with a magic number of 40 skeletal electrons and a closed-shell electronic configuration of 1S21P61D102S22P61F14 for superatom orbitals.

Structural and magnetic properties of FeGen−/0 (n = 3-12) clusters: Mass-selected anion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of FeGen-/0 (n = 3-12) clusters were investigated by using anion photoelectron spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory calculations. For both anionic and neutral FeGen (n = 3-12) clusters with n ≤ 7, the dominant structures are exohedral. The FeGe8-/0 clusters have half-encapsulated boat-shaped structures, and the opening of the boat-shaped structure is gradually covered by the additional Ge atoms to form Gen cage from n = 9 to 11. The structures of FeGe10-/0 can be viewed as two Ge atoms symmetrically capping the opening of the boat-shaped structure of FeGe8, and those of FeGe12-/0 are distorted hexagonal prisms with the Fe atom at the center. Natural population analysis shows that there is an electron transfer from the Ge atoms to the Fe atom at n = 8-12. The total magnetic moment of FeGen-/0 and local magnetic moment of the Fe atom have not been quenched.