Baoqi Yin

Abstract We report a joint experimental and theoretical study on the stability and reactivity of Bin+ (n = 5–33) clusters. The alternating odd-even effect on the reaction rates of Bin+ clusters with NO is observed, and Bi7+ finds the most inertness. First-principles calculation results reveal that the lowest energy structures of Bi6‒9+ exhibit quasi-spherical geometry pertaining to the jellium shell model; however, but the Bin+ (n ≥ 10) clusters adopt assembly structures.

Gas-phase synthesis of Ag-centered phenylenediamine clusters Small Agn+ clusters are prepared by a customized magnetron sputtering (MagS) cluster source, on which we observe their reactions with aromatic amine molecules by a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). It is interestingly found that, o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and m-phenylenediamine (MPD) readily react with the small Agn+ (n=1-3) clusters resulting in [Ag(OPD)1-2]+ and [Ag(MPD)1-3]+ complexes.