Low-energy isomer identification, structural evolution, and magnetic properties in manganese-doped gold clusters MnAu(n) (n = 1-16)

J Phys Chem A. 2012 Feb 16;116(6):1493-502. doi: 10.1021/jp2094406. Epub 2012 Feb 2.

Abstract

The size-dependent electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of Mn-doped gold clusters have been systematically investigated by using relativistic all-electron density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation. A number of new isomers are obtained for neutral MnAu(n) (n = 1-16) clusters to probe the structural evolution. The two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) transition occurs in the size range n = 7-10 with manifest structure competitions. From size n = 13 to n = 16, the MnAu(n) prefers a gold cage structure with Mn atom locating at the center. The relative stabilities of the ground-state MnAu(n) clusters show a pronounced odd-even oscillation with the number of Au atoms. The magnetic moments of MnAu(n) clusters vary from 3 μ(B) to 6 μ(B) with the different cluster size, suggesting that nonmagnetic Au(n) clusters can serve as a flexible host to tailor the dopant's magnetism, which has potential applications in new nanomaterials with tunable magnetic properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Isomerism
  • Magnetic Phenomena*
  • Manganese / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Manganese
  • Gold