Ab initio characterization of size dependence of electronic spectra for linear anionic carbon clusters Cn− (n = 4-17)

Abstract

In this article, we determine the ground-state equilibrium geometries of the linear anionic carbon clusters C n- (n = 4-17) by means of the density functional theory B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, and coupled cluster CCSD(T) calculations, as well as their electronic spectra obtained by the multireference second-order perturbation theory CASPT2 method. These studies indicate that these linear anions possess doublet ²∏(g) or ²∏(u) ground state, and the even-numbered clusters are generally acetylenic, whereas the odd-numbered ones are essentially cumulenic. The energy differences, electron affinities, and incremental binding energies of C n- chains all exhibit a notable tread of parity alternation, with n-even chains being more stable than n-odd ones. In addition, the predicted vertical excitation energies from the ground state to four low-lying excited states are in reasonably good agreement with the available experimental observations, and the calculations for the higher excited electronic transitions can provide accurate information for the experimentalists and spectroscopists. Interestingly, the absorption wavelengths of the 1²∏(u/g) ← X²∏(g/u) transitions of the n-even clusters show a nonlinear trend of exponential growth, whereas those of the n-odd counterparts are found to obey a linear relationship as a function of the chain size, as shown experimentally. Moreover, the absorption wavelengths of the transitions to the higher excited states of C n- series have the similar linear size dependence as well.