Science · 2003 · 1.2K citations · 32 references
Natural SciencesChemistryPhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsSpectroscopySurface ScienceAtomic PackingAtomic StructureCluster ChemistryCrystal ChemistryDensity Functional TheoryMolecular StructureCluster GeometryElectron AffinityFace-centered Cubic LatticeFace-centered Cubic StructureGold NanostructuresNoble Metal ClustersStructural RelaxationTetrahedral Complexes
Photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that a 20-atom gold cluster has an extremely large energy gap, which is even greater than that of C60, and an electron affinity comparable with that of C60. This observation suggests that the Au20 cluster should be highly stable and chemically inert. Using relativistic density functional calculations, we found that Au20 possesses a tetrahedral structure, which is a fragment of the face-centered cubic lattice of bulk gold with a small structural relaxation. Au20 is thus a unique molecule with atomic packing similar to that of bulk gold but with very different properties.
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Harold W. Kroto, J. R. Heath, Sean C. O’Brien et al. · Nature · 1985 · 15.9K citations
Solid C60: a new form of carbon
Wolfgang Krätschmer, Lowell D. Lamb, K. Fostiropoulos et al. · Nature · 1990 · 7.6K citations