On the Electronic and Atomic Structures of Small AuN- (N = 4−14) Clusters: A Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density-Functional Study

We report a joint experimental and theoretical study of the electronic and atomic structures of small gold clusters with up to 14 atoms. Well-resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained for AuN- (N = 1−14) at several photon energies. Even−odd alternations were observed, where the even-sized clusters (except Au10-) exhibit an energy gap between the lowest binding energy peak and the rest of the spectrum, indicating that all the neutral even-sized clusters have closed shells. The Au10- spectrum reveals the existence of isomers, with the ground-state cluster exhibiting an extremely high electron binding energy. Evidence of multiple isomers was also observed in the spectra of N = 4, 8, 12, and 13. The structures of the gold cluster anions in the range N = 4−14 were investigated using first-principles simulations. A striking feature of the anionic clusters in this range is the occurrence of planar ground-state structures, which were predicted in earlier theoretical studies (Hakkinen, H.; et al. Phys. Rev. Let...