Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Gold Clusters in the Gas Phase
Alex P. Woodham and Andr
ยด
Fielicke
Abstract Gold clusters exhibit strong size and charge state dependent variations in
their properties. This is demonstrated by significant changes in their geometric
structures and also in their chemical properties. Here we focus on clusters
containing up to about 20 gold atoms and briefly review their structural evolution
emphasising the role of isomerism and structural fluxionality. The discussion of
chemical properties is limited to the interaction of gold clusters with molecular
oxygen and carbon monoxide, separately, and their interaction in CO/O
2
co-adsorbates on gold clusters eventually leading to CO oxidation. Whilst highlight-
ing results obtained using different experimental approaches, special attention is
given to the insights obtained using infrared multiple photon dissociation (IR-MPD)
spectroscopy.
Keywords Carbon monoxide
Catalysis
Gold clusters
Oxygen
Reactions
Structure
Vibrational spectroscopy
Contents
1 Introduction .................................................................................. 244
2 Experimental Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
2.1 Mass Spectrometry .................................................................... 246
2.2 Trapped Ion Electron Diffraction ..................................................... 246
2.3 Ion Mobility ........................................................................... 247
2.4 Action Spectroscopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
3 Structure and Isomerism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
3.1 Ionic Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
3.2 Neutrals . . .............................................................................. 253
