Theoretical studies on carbon and silicon clusters: comparison of the structures and stabilities of neutral and ionic forms

Abstract

Optimized molecular geometries and electronic structures are determined for neutral, positively charged, and negatively charged carbon and silicon clusters containing up to ten atoms. The effects of polarization functions and electron correlation are included in these claculations. Carbon clusters have linear or monocyclic ground state geometries whereas silicon clusters containing five or more atoms have three-dimensional ground state structures. Neutral C4, C6 and C8 all have linear and monocyclic isomers of comparable stability whereas the ionic forms appear to be generally more stable as linear geometrical arrangements. In the case of neutral and positively charged carbon clusters, the odd-numbered clusters are significantly more stable than the adjacent even-numbered clusters whereas the opposite order of stability occurs for the negative ions. This is due to the large values of the electron affinities of the linear forms of even-numbered clusters such as C4 and C6. The relative stabilities of silicon clusters does not change with the charge state of the clusters.