Design of three-shell icosahedral matryoshka clusters A@B₁₂@A2₂₀ (A = Sn, Pb; B = Mg, Zn, Cd, Mn).

ABSTRACT: We propose a series of icosahedral matryoshka clusters of A@B12@A20 (A = Sn, Pb; B = Mg, Zn, Cd), which possess large HOMO-LUMO gaps (1.29 to 1.54 eV) and low formation energies (0.06 to 0.21 eV/atom). A global minimum search using a genetic algorithm and density functional theory calculations confirms that such onion-like three-shell structures are the ground states for these A21B12 binary clusters. All of these icosahedral matryoshka clusters, including two previously found ones, i.e., [As@Ni12@As20](3-) and [Sn@Cu12@Sn20](12-), follow the 108-electron rule, which originates from the high Ih symmetry and consequently the splitting of superatom orbitals of high angular momentum. More interestingly, two magnetic matryoshka clusters, i.e., Sn@Mn12@Sn20 and Pb@Mn12@Pb20, are designed, which

SUBMITTER: Huang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4223685 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature