We have investigated the size-dependent stability and structure of benzene, aluminum-benzene, and vanadium-benzene clusters. Motivated by gas-phase experimental studies performed by an experimental collaborator, we have used first-principle electronic structure methods to identify the structure of Al+(Bz)n, V+(Bz)n, and Bzn clusters. Our studies reveal that cationic aluminum-benzene clusters have a magic number of 13, and that its high stability may be understood by analyzing the structure of the cluster. We also investigate the structure of vanadium-benzene clusters which have a magic number of 2. Here I examine the benzene-cation and benzene-benzene interactions that lead to these magic numbers, as well as their geometric shell structures and their formation/solvation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-6912 |
| Date | 01 January 2019 |
| Creators | Rabayda, Daniel P |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © Daniel P. Rabayda |
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