On the manifestation of electronic structure effects in metal clusters

Abstract

Potasium (Kx x<40) and sodium (Nax, x<66) clusters were generated in molecular beams and probed by photoionization mass spectroscopy. Results obtained include measurements of neutral cluster abundances and determinations of ionization potentials. The I. P. values can be rationalized in terms of a global electrostatic model which extrapolates to the bulk work function. This model also applies to transition metals as can be shown by comparng it to the limited experimental data sets available. The I. P.’s of small clusters exhibit ‘‘quantum size’’ effects which can be understood by individual quantum chemical calculations. As previously found for sodium clusters, photoionization mass spectra obtained for potassium, mixed potassium/sodium and potassium/lithium exhibit abundance maxima at M+8 and M+20, where M is an alkali metal. This has been interpreted in terms of increased thermodynamic stability of the corresponding neutrals relative to neighboring clusters. We present data which show that a spherical jellium model, while providing a set of numbers correlating well with those of preferred stability in alkali clusters, is less successful in explaining other properties.