Transition metal clusters metallic state

Bowers, M.T. Kemper, P.R. von Helden, G. van Koppen, P.A.M., Gas-phase ion chromatography transition metal state selection and carbon cluster formation. Science 1993, 260 (June 4), 1446-1451. 

In the final section, we will survey the different theoretical approaches for the treatment of adsorbed molecules on surfaces, taking the chemisorption on transition metal surfaces, a particularly difficult to treat yet extremely relevant surface problem [1], as an example. Wliile solid state approaches such as DFT are often used, hybrid methods are also advantageous. Of particular importance in this area is the idea of embedding, where a small cluster of surface atoms around the adsorbate is treated with more care than the surroundmg region. The advantages and disadvantages of the approaches are discussed. 

A German saying goes You can t stand upright on one leg only . Looking at the achievements of John D. Corbett it is clear that his scientific body stands solidly on two legs Solid-state Zinfl compounds and centered cluster phases of early transition metals. 

As holds for other cluster systems, certain magic cluster electron counts exist, which indicates for a certain cluster-halide ratio and interstitial present the filling of all bonding molecular orbitals and therefore the thermodynamically most stable situation. For main group interstitial atoms these are 14 cluster-based electrons whereas for transition-metal interstitials the magic number is 18 [1, 10-12]. All of these phases are synthesized by high-temperature solid-state chemical methods. A remarkable variety of different structure types has been... 

One of the distinctive aspects of transition-metal and lanthanide chemistry is cluster formation via metal-metal bonding that is characteristic of many of these elements in low oxidation states [1]. The unique structural, chemical, and... 

Ames Laboratory (Iowa State University, USA) investigating new solid state phases based on reduced rare earth halides. Since 1993, she has held a position at the University Jaume 1 of Castello (Spain) and became Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1995. During the second semester of 2005, she held a visiting professor position at the Laboratory of Chemistry, Molecular Engineering and Materials of the CNRS-Universtity of Angers (France). Her research has been focussed on the chemistry of transition metal clusters with special interest in multifunctional molecular materials and the relationship between the molecular and electronic structures of these systems with their properties. She is currently coauthor of around 80 research papers on this and related topics. 

Binary systems of ruthenium sulfide or selenide nanoparticles (RujcSy, RujcSey) are considered as the state-of-the-art ORR electrocatalysts in the class of non-Chevrel amorphous transition metal chalcogenides. Notably, in contrast to pyrite-type MS2 varieties (typically RUS2) utilized in industrial catalysis as effective cathodes for the molecular oxygen reduction in acid medium, these Ru-based cluster materials exhibit a fairly robust activity even in high methanol content environments of fuel cells. 

Besides these many cluster studies, it is currently not knovm at what approximate cluster size the metallic state is reached, or when the transition occurs to solid-statelike properties. As an example. Figure 4.17 shows the dependence of the ionization potential and electron affinity on the cluster size for the Group 11 metals. We see a typical odd-even oscillation for the open/closed shell cases. Note that the work-function for Au is still 2 eV below the ionization potential of AU24. Another interesting fact is that the Au ionization potentials are about 2 eV higher than the corresponding CUn and Ag values up to the bulk, which has been shown to be a relativistic effect [334]. A similar situation is found for the Group 11 cluster electron affinities [334]. 

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