An ab initio study of cluster–surface interaction: Na clusters on the NaCl(001) surface

Electronic structure of MgO-supported Au clusters: quantum dots probed by scanning tunneling microscopy

We investigate via density functional theory (DFT) the appearance of small MgO-supported gold clusters with 8 to 20 atoms in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) experiment. Comparison of simulations of ultrathin films on a metal support with a bulk MgO leads to similar results for the cluster properties relevant for STM. Simulated STM pictures show the delocalized states of the cluster rather than the atomic structure. This finding is due to the presence of s- derived delocalized states of the cluster near the Fermi energy. The properties of theses states can be understood from a jellium model for monovalent gold.

Oxygen adsorption at anionic free and supported Au clusters

The structure, stability, and O2 adsorption properties of anionic Au(n) (n=1-11) clusters either free or supported at defected MgO100 surfaces are investigated using density-functional theory. O2 adsorption is strong whenever unpaired electrons are present, except for at some small, supported, planar, high-band-gap clusters. These clusters have the unpaired electrons pinned by the Madelung potential of the support. Larger clusters (starting at Au7-Au8) become three dimensional and metallic. This ensures that while one cluster orbital is pinned to the defect, another orbital at comparable energy can undergo depletion, thus binding O2 with charge transfer.

Photoinduced charge transfer reaction at surfaces. III. (HF)2...Na n/LiF(001)+hnu(640 nm)-->HFF-Na n +/LiF(001)+H(g)

A sub-monolayer of atomic sodium was deposited on a LiF(001) surface at 40 K. The adsorbed sodium exists at the surface as single atoms and clusters. The surface was dosed with 1 L of HF, to form adsorbed (HF)2...Na(n) (n=1,2,3,...) complexes, which were then irradiated by 640 nm laser light, to induce charge-transfer reaction. The reaction-product atomic H(g) was observed leaving the surface by two-color Rydberg-atom time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy. The TOF spectrum of the desorbed H atoms contained two components; a "fast" component with a maximum at approximately 0.85 eV, and a "slow" component with a maximum at 0.45 eV. These two components were attributed to photoreaction on adsorbed single atoms and clusters of sodium, respectively. The fast component exhibited a structure (48+/-17 meV spacing) near the high-energy end of spectrum. This structure was attributed to vibration of NaFHF photoproduct residing on the surface. The cross section of the harpooning event in the Na...(HF)2 adsorbed complex was determined as (9.1+/-2.0)x10(-19) cm(2). To interpret the experimental vibrational structure and the relative energies of the fast and slow components of the TOF spectrum, high-level ab initio calculations were performed for reactants Na(n)...(HF)(m) (n,m=1,2) and reaction products Na(n)F(m)H(m-1). The calculated NaF-HF and Na-Na(HF)(2) bond dissociation energies indicated that photoexcitation of the precursor complexes led not only to ejection of H atoms, but also to dissociation of the Na(n)...(HF)(2) (n=1,2) species through cleavage of the NaF-HF and Na-Na(HF)(2) bonds.

Supported magnetic nanoclusters: soft landing of Pd clusters on a MgO surface

Low-energy deposition of neutral Pd(N) clusters (N=2-7 and 13) on a MgO(001) surface F center (FC) was studied by spin-density-functional molecular dynamics simulations. The incident clusters are steered by an attractive "funnel" created by the FC, resulting in adsorption of the cluster, with one of its atoms bonded atop of the FC. The deposited Pd2-Pd6 clusters retain their gas-phase structures, while for N>6 surface-commensurate isomers are energetically more favorable. Adsorbed clusters with N>3 are found to remain magnetic at the surface.