Electronic d-band properties of gold nanoclusters grown on amorphous carbon

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.83.165428· OSTI ID:21538293

Visikovskiy, Anton; Matsumoto, Hisashi; Mitsuhara, Kei; Nakada, Toshitaka; Kido, Yoshiaki ^[1]; Akita, Tomoki ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan)
2. Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Kansai Center, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577 (Japan)

The electronic d-band properties are important factors for the emerging catalytic activity of Au nanoclusters of sub-5-nm size. We analyzed the d-band properties of Au nanoclusters grown on amorphous carbon supports by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron-radiation light coupled with high-resolution ion scattering spectrometry which enables us to estimate the size and shape of Au nanoclusters. The d-band width (W{sub d}), d-band center position (E{sub d}), and apparent 5d{sub 3/2}-d{sub 5/2} spin-orbit splitting (E{sub SO}) were determined as a function of a number of Au atoms per cluster (n{sub A}) and an average coordination number (n{sub C}) in a wide range (11<n{sub A}<1600). The W{sub d} and E{sub SO} values decrease steeply with decreasing n{sub A} below {approx}150 owing to band narrowing which is caused by hybridization of fewer wave functions of the valence electrons. However, E{sub d} shifts to the higher binding energy side with decreasing cluster size. The rapid movement of E{sub d} is attributed to the dynamic final-state effect, which results in higher binding energy shifts of core and valence states due to a positive hole created after photoelectron emission. We have estimated the contribution from the final-state effect and derived the approximated initial-state spectra. Modified data, however, still show a slight movement of the d-band center away from the Fermi level (E{sub F}) although the E{sub d} values for Au nanoclusters are closer to E{sub F} compared to the bulk value. This behavior is ascribed to the contraction of average Au-Au bond length with decreasing cluster size.

• OSTI ID: 21538293
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 83, Issue 16; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.83.165428; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMIC CLUSTERS
ATOMS
BINDING ENERGY
BOND LENGTHS
CARBON
COORDINATION NUMBER
EMISSION
FERMI LEVEL
GOLD
IONS
NANOSTRUCTURES
ORBITS
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
RESOLUTION
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
SPIN
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
WAVE FUNCTIONS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CHARGED PARTICLES
DIMENSIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
FUNCTIONS
LENGTH
METALS
NONMETALS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS