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Title: Structures of Al{sub n}, its anions and cations up to n=34: A theoretical investigation

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3403692· OSTI ID:21559857
;  [1]
  1. Institut fuer Physikalische Chemie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT), Kaiserstrasse 12, Karlsruhe 76131 (Germany)

A systematic density functional study has been performed for neutral and singly charged clusters of aluminum with up to 34 atoms. A thorough search for global minimum structures has been carried out for Al{sub n} employing genetic algorithm and basin-hopping procedures. For Al{sub n} this confirms results of previous investigations up to n=22; new global minima have been located for n=23-31, 33. Structures for singly charged cations and anions have been obtained by reoptimization of the pool of 40 low-energy structures of the neutral clusters. The global minima of charged and neutral clusters are always low-spin states with the possible exception of a triplet state of Al{sub 28}, which is isoenergetic with a singlet. The cluster structures are mostly quite irregular and do not resemble fractions of the fcc bulk phase. High symmetries are found only for the global minimum of Al{sub 23} and the triplet state of Al{sub 28}.

OSTI ID:
21559857
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 132, Issue 16; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3403692; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English