Reintroduction of ionic structure in the self-consistent jellium model for metal clusters: Pseudopotential perturbation theory

Structural, electronic, and chemical properties of multiply iodized aluminum clusters

The electronic structure, stability, and reactivity of iodized aluminum clusters, which have been investigated via reactivity studies, are examined by first-principles gradient corrected density functional calculations. The observed behavior of Al13I(x)- and Al14I(x)- clusters is shown to indicate that for x < or = 8, they consist of compact Al13- and Al14++ cores, respectively, demonstrating that they behave as halogen- or alkaline earth-like superatoms. For x > 8, the Al cores assume a cagelike structure associated with the charging of the cores. The observed mass spectra of the reacted clusters reveal that Al13I(x)- species are more stable for even x while Al14I(x)- exhibit enhanced stability for odd x(x > or = 3). It is shown that these observations are linked to the formation and filling of "active sites," demonstrating a novel chemistry of superatoms.