Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Equilibrium geometry, stability, and magnetic properties of small MnO clusters

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja981721p· OSTI ID:20014082
The equilibrium geometries, binding energies, electronic structure, and magnetic properties of small stoichiometric MnO clusters are presented for the first time. The results are based on first-principles self-consistent calculations performed within the framework of density functional theory and the generalized gradient approximation. The nature of bonding between manganese and oxygen atoms is partly ionic. The charge transfer between Mn and O atoms, as well as the average Mn-O bond distance, remains insensitive to cluster size. However, the magnetic properties of these clusters exhibit very unusual characteristics. in contrast to their bulk behavior, the small clusters of MnO are ferromagnetic with magnetic moments per MnO molecule varying between 4 and 5 {micro}{sub B}. Almost all of these moments are localized at the Mn site. The (MnO){sub 8} cluster exhibits magnetic bistability, with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations being nearly degenerate. The structural growth of these clusters also differs substantially from those of alkaline earth metal-oxide clusters in that hexagonal packing and cubic parking complete for stability. (MnO){sub 2} and (MnO){sub 3} clusters show unusual stability, making them the skeletal structures for further growth. The results agree very well with available experimental data.
Research Organization:
Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, VA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy
OSTI ID:
20014082
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 121; ISSN JACSAT; ISSN 0002-7863
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Giant Magnetic Moments and Magnetic Bistability of Stoichiomatric MnO Clusters
Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · Physical Review Letters · OSTI ID:662279

Electronic structure and magnetism of Mn{sub 12}O{sub 12} clusters
Journal Article · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1998 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter · OSTI ID:289173

Influence of double occupancy and lattice distortions on the magnetic phase diagram of A{sub 1{minus}x}A{sub x}{sup {prime}}MnO{sub 3}
Journal Article · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1998 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter · OSTI ID:289174