Quantum chemical study of electronic and dynamic properties of metal and mixed non-stoichiometric clusters

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to show that quantum chemistry has suitable tools to extract the specific properties of small metallic and mixed non-stoichiometric clusters which cannot be obtained by extrapolation from the bulk properties to the atom. For this purpose, first the main features of the methods used for the calculations of the ground and excited states of clusters valid at zero temperature (T=0) will be sketched and the factors determining accuracy of results will be pointed out. The structural and optical response properties of cationic Na ⁺ _n clusters as a function of size will be presented and compared with experimental data. The series of non-stoichiometric alkali-halide clusters containing single and multiple excess electrons will serve as prototypes to study a possible “metal-insulator transition” and “segregation into metallic and ionic parts” in finite systems. Second, an outline of ab initio molecular dynamics methods based on gradient corrected density functional approach with gaussian basis used for determination of temperature dependent ground state properties will be presented. Different temperature behavior of distinct type of structures will be illustrated on an example of Li ⁺₉ cluster.