ECP-CI study of electronic structure and geometry of small neutral and charged Ag n clusters; Predictions and interpretation of measured properties

Abstract

The ground state geometries of small neutral Agn(n=2–9) and charged Agn± (n=2–9) clusters have been determined in the framework of the SCF procedure employing a relativistic pseudopotential accounting for core-valence correlation effects (RECP-CVC). Similarities and differences between neutral and charged clusters have been found. Large scale CI for 5s electrons only has been carried out for determining stabilities, ionization potentials (IP) and vertical detachment energies (VDE) of anions. A comparison between predicted and measured observables allows for the tentative structural assignments. In addition, the low lying energies of excited states for the neutral species at the anionic geometries have been calculated to account fully for geometrical and spectroscopic assignment to the photodetachment measurements.