Structure And Properties Of Clusters From A Few Atoms To Nanoparticles

This volume on Clusters brings together contributions from a large number of specialists. A central element for all contributions is the use of advanced computational methodologies and their application to various aspects of structure, reactivity and properties of clusters. The size of clusters varies from a few atoms to nanoparticles. Special emphasis is given to bringing forth new insights on the structure and properties of these systems with an eye towards potential applications in Materials Science. Overal, the volume presents to the readers an amazing wealth of new results. Particular subjects include water clusters, Silicon, Iron, Nickel and Gold clusters, carbon-titanium microclusters and nanoparticles, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, chiral carbon nanotubes, boron nanoclusters and more.

Atomic clusters are aggregates of atoms containing a few to several thousand atoms. Due to the small size of these pieces of matter, the properties of atomic clusters in general are different from those of the corresponding material in the macroscopic bulk phase. This monograph presents the main developments of atomic clusters and the current status of the field. The book treats different types of clusters with very different properties: clusters in which the atoms or molecules are tied by weak van der Waals interactions, metallic clusters, clusters of ionic materials, and network clusters made of typical covalent elements. It includes methods of experimental cluster synthesis as well as the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and magnetic properties of clusters, covering both experiments and the theoretical work that has led to our present understanding of the different properties of clusters. The question of assembling nanoclusters to form solids with new properties is also considered. Having an adequate knowledge of the properties of clusters can be of great help to any scientist working with objects of nanometric size. On the other hand, nanoclusters are themselves potentially important in fields like catalysis and nanomedicine.

​This book covers the continually expanding field of metal nanoparticles and clusters, in particular their size-dependent properties and quantum phenomena. The approaches to the organization of atoms that form clusters and nanoparticles have been advancing rapidly in recent times. These advancements are described through a combination of experimental and computational approaches and are covered in detail by the authors. Recent highlights of the various emerging properties and applications ranging from plasmonics to catalysis are showcased.

Foundations of Computational Intelligence Volume 5: Function Approximation and Classification Approximation theory is that area of analysis which is concerned with the ability to approximate functions by simpler and more easily calculated functions. It is an area which, like many other fields of analysis, has its primary roots in the mat- matics. The need for function approximation and classification arises in many branches of applied mathematics, computer science and data mining in particular. This edited volume comprises of 14 chapters, including several overview Ch- ters, which provides an up-to-date and state-of-the art research covering the theory and algorithms of function approximation and classification. Besides research ar- cles and expository papers on theory and algorithms of function approximation and classification, papers on numerical experiments and real world applications were also encouraged. The Volume is divided into 2 parts: Part-I: Function Approximation and Classification – Theoretical Foundations Part-II: Function Approximation and Classification – Success Stories and Real World Applications Part I on Function Approximation and Classification – Theoretical Foundations contains six chapters that describe several approaches Feature Selection, the use Decomposition of Correlation Integral, Some Issues on Extensions of Information and Dynamic Information System and a Probabilistic Approach to the Evaluation and Combination of Preferences Chapter 1 “Feature Selection for Partial Least Square Based Dimension Red- tion” by Li and Zeng investigate a systematic feature reduction framework by combing dimension reduction with feature selection. To evaluate the proposed framework authors used four typical data sets.

Nanoclusters have gained a huge interest due to their unique properties. They represent an intermediate state between an atom and a solid, which manifests itself in their atomic configurations and electronic structure. The applications of nanoclusters require detailed understanding of their properties and strongly depend on the ability to control their synthesis process. Significant effort has been invested in modelling of nanoclusters properties. However, the complexity of these systems is such that many aspects of their growth process and properties are yet to be understood. My thesis focuses on describing structural and electronic properties of nanoclusters. In particular, the model for nanoparticles growth in plasma condition is developed and applied, allowing to describe the influence of the plasma conditions on the evaporation, growth and morphological transformation processes. The mechanism driving the morphology transition from icosahedral to decahedral phase is suggested based on force-fields models. Spectroscopic methods allow for precise characterization of nanoclusters and constitute an important tool for analysis of their electronic structure of valence band as well as core-states. The special attention in the thesis is paid to the core-states of nanoclusters and influences that affect them. In particular, the effects of local coordination, interatomic distances and confinement effects are investigated in metal nanoclusters by density functional theory methods. These effects and their contribution to spectroscopic features of nanoclusters in X-ray photoemission are modelled. The relation between the reactivity of nanoclusters and their spectroscopic features calculated in different approximations are revealed and explained. Ceria is a very important system for many applications due to the ability of cerium atoms to change their oxidation state depending on the environment. The shift of the oxidation state and its effects on the core-states is examined with X-ray absorption measurements and modelling allowing to build a rigid foundation for interpretation of the measured spectra and characterization of electronic structure of ceria nanoparticles.

This book introduces readers to MesoBioNano (MBN) Explorer – a multi-purpose software package designed to model molecular systems at various levels of size and complexity. In addition, it presents a specially designed multi-task toolkit and interface – the MBN Studio – which enables the set-up of input files, controls the simulations, and supports the subsequent visualization and analysis of the results obtained. The book subsequently provides a systematic description of the capabilities of this universal and powerful software package within the framework of computational molecular science, and guides readers through its applications in numerous areas of research in bio- and chemical physics and material science – ranging from the nano- to the mesoscale. MBN Explorer is particularly suited to computing the system’s energy, to optimizing molecular structure, and to exploring the various facets of molecular and random walk dynamics. The package allows the use of a broad variety of interatomic potentials and can, e.g., be configured to select any subset of a molecular system as rigid fragments, whenever a significant reduction in the number of dynamical degrees of freedom is required for computational practicalities. MBN Studio enables users to easily construct initial geometries for the molecular, liquid, crystalline, gaseous and hybrid systems that serve as input for the subsequent simulations of their physical and chemical properties using MBN Explorer. Despite its universality, the computational efficiency of MBN Explorer is comparable to that of other, more specialized software packages, making it a viable multi-purpose alternative for the computational modeling of complex molecular systems. A number of detailed case studies presented in the second part of this book demonstrate MBN Explorer’s usefulness and efficiency in the fields of atomic clusters and nanoparticles, biomolecular systems, nanostructured materials, composite materials and hybrid systems, crystals, liquids and gases, as well as in providing modeling support for novel and emerging technologies. Last but not least, with the release of the 3rd edition of MBN Explorer in spring 2017, a free trial version will be available from the MBN Research Center website (mbnresearch.com).

A valuable learning tool as well as a reference, this book provides students and researchers in surface science and nanoscience with the theoretical crystallographic foundations, which are necessary to understand local structure and symmetry of bulk crystals, including ideal and real single crystal surfaces. The author deals with the subject at an introductory level, providing numerous graphic examples to illustrate the mathematical formalism. The book brings together and logically connects many seemingly disparate structural issues and notations used frequently by surface scientists and nanoscientists. Numerous exercises of varying difficulty, ranging from simple questions to small research projects, are included to stimulate discussions about the different subjects. From the contents: Bulk Crystals, Three-Dimensional Lattices - Crystal Layers, Two-Dimensional Lattices, Symmetry - Ideal Single Crystal Surfaces - Real Crystal Surfaces - Adsorbate layers - Interference Lattices - Chiral Surfaces - Experimental Analysis of Real Crystal Surfaces - Nanoparticles and Crystallites - Quasicrystals - Nanotubes

With techniques bridging the gap between surface science and heterogeneous catalysis the book presents a tool-kit for anyone wishing to prepare and define solid catalysts.