Superoxide formation on isolated cationic gold clusters.

Gold nanoparticles are known to be highly versatile oxidation catalysts utilizing molecular oxygen as a feedstock, but the mechanism and species responsible for activating oxygen remain unclear. The reaction between unsupported cationic gold clusters and molecular oxygen has been investigated. The resulting complexes were characterized in the gas phase using IR spectroscopy. A strong red-shift in the observed ν(O-O) stretching frequency indicates the formation of superoxo (O2(-)) moieties. These moieties are seen to form spontaneously in systems, which upon electron transfer attain a closed shell within the spherical jellium model (Au10(+) and Au22(+)), whereas an oxygen induced self-promotion in the activation is observed for other systems (Au4(+), Au12(+), Au21(+)).

Structure assignment, electronic properties, and magnetism quenching of endohedrally doped neutral silicon clusters, Si(n)Co (n = 10-12).

The structures of neutral cobalt-doped silicon clusters have been assigned by a combined experimental and theoretical study. Size-selective infrared spectra of neutral Si(n)Co (n = 10-12) clusters are measured using a tunable IR-UV two-color ionization scheme. The experimental infrared spectra are compared with calculated spectra of low-energy structures predicted at the B3P86 level of theory. It is shown that the Si(n)Co (n = 10-12) clusters have endohedral caged structures, where the silicon frameworks prefer double-layered structures encapsulating the Co atom. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the clusters are stabilized by an ionic interaction between the Co dopant atom and the silicon cage due to the charge transfer from the silicon valence sp orbitals to the cobalt 3d orbitals. Strong hybridization between the Co dopant atom and the silicon host quenches the local magnetic moment on the encapsulated Co atom.

The geometric structure of silver-doped silicon clusters.

Cationic silver-doped silicon clusters, Si(n)Ag(+) (n=6-15), are studied using infrared multiple photon dissociation in combination with density functional theory computations. Candidate structures are identified using a basin-hopping global optimizations method. Based on the comparison of experimental and calculated IR spectra for the identified low-energy isomers, structures are assigned. It is found that all investigated clusters have exohedral structures, that is, the Ag atom is located at the surface. This is a surprising result because many transition-metal dopant atoms have been shown to induce the formation of endohedral silicon clusters. The silicon framework of Si(n)Ag(+) (n=7-9) has a pentagonal bipyramidal building block, whereas the larger Si(n)Ag(+) (n=10-12, 14, 15) clusters have trigonal prism-based structures. On comparing the structures of Si(n)Ag(+) with those of Si(n)Cu(+) (for n=6-11) it is found that both Cu and Ag adsorb on a surface site of bare Si(n)(+) clusters. However, the Ag dopant atom takes a lower coordinated site and is more weakly bound to the Si(n)(+) framework than the Cu dopant atom.

Charge separation promoted activation of molecular oxygen by neutral gold clusters.

Gold nanoparticles and sub-nanoparticles famously act as highly efficient and selective low-temperature oxidation catalysts with molecular oxygen, in stark contrast to the nobility of the bulk phase. The origins of this activity and the nature of the active species remain open questions. Gas-phase studies of isolated gold clusters hold promise for disentangling these problems. Here we address the interaction of neutral gold clusters (Au(n); 4 ≤ n ≤ 21) with molecular oxygen by probing the highly characteristic O-O vibrational stretch frequencies. This reveals that for selected cluster sizes the oxygen is highly activated with respect to the free moiety. Complementary quantum chemical calculations provide evidence for substantial electron transfer to the O(2) unit and concomitant rearrangement of the parent gold cluster structure upon binding and activation. This gives evidence for a model of the interaction between neutral gold clusters and molecular oxygen.

Xe+ formation following photolysis of Au-Xe: a velocity map imaging study.

The photodissociation dynamics of Au-Xe leading to Xe(+) formation via the Ξ(1∕2)-X(2)Σ(+) (v('), 0) band system (41 500-41 800 cm(-1)) have been investigated by velocity map imaging. Five product channels have been indentified, which can be assigned to photoinduced charge transfer followed by photodissociation in either the neutral or the [Au-Xe](+) species. For the neutral species, charge transfer occurs via a superexcited Rydberg state prior to dissociative ionization, while single-photon excitation of the gold atom in Au(+)-Xe accesses an (Au(+))∗-Xe excited state that couples to a dissociative continuum in Au-Xe(+). Mechanisms by which charge transfer occurs are proposed, and branching ratios for Xe(+) formation via the superexcited Rydberg state are reported. The bond dissociation energy for the first excited state of Au(+)-Xe is determined to be ∼9720 ± 110 cm(-1).

A velocity map imaging study of gold-rare gas complexes: Au-Ar, Au-Kr, and Au-Xe.

The ultraviolet photodissociation dynamics of the gold-rare gas atom van der Waals complexes (Au-RG, RG = Ar, Kr, and Xe) have been studied by velocity map imaging. Photofragmentation of Au-Ar and Au-Kr at several wavelengths permits extrapolation to zero of the total kinetic energy release (TKER) spectra as monitored in the Au((2)P(3/2)(o)[5d(10)6p]) fragment channel, facilitating the determination of ground state dissociation energies of D(0)(")(Au-Ar) = 149+/-13 cm(-1) and D(0)(")(Au-Kr) = 240+/-19 cm(-1), respectively. In the same spectral region, transitions to vibrational levels of an Omega(') = 1/2 state of the Au-Xe complex result in predissociation to the lower Au((2)P(1/2)(o)[5d(10)6p])+Xe((1)S(0)[5p(6)]) fragment channel for which TKER extrapolation yields a value of D(0)(")(Au-Xe) = 636+/-27 cm(-1). Asymmetric line shapes for transitions to the v(') = 14 level of this state indicate coupling to the Au((2)P(3/2)(o)[5d(10)6p])+Xe((1)S(0)[5p(6)]) continuum, which allows us to refine this value to D(0)(")(Au-Xe) = 607+/-5 cm(-1). The dissociation dynamics of this vibrational level have been studied at the level of individual isotopologues by fitting the observed excitation spectra to Fano profiles. These fits reveal a remarkable variation in the predissociation dynamics for different Au-Xe isotopologues. For Au-Ar and Au-Xe, the determined ground state dissociation energies are in good agreement with recent theoretical calculations; the agreement of the Au-Kr value with theory is less satisfactory.