Spectroscopy of Metal Clusters

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Michael Morse of the University of Utah is supported by a grant from the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to continue his investigations of chemical bonding and electronic structure of diatomic and polyatomic transition metal clusters with electronic spectroscopy. The measurements will be made on supersonic expansions of laser ablated metals using laser induced fluorescence, resonant two photon ionization and dispersed fluorescence spectroscopies. State symmetries, bond energies and lengths and vibrational frequencies will be determined for: (1) a series of 3d transition metal silicides and (2) 4 and 5d homonuclear transition metal diatomics . The studies will be extended to include a series of metal clusters including those containing aluminum, copper, silver, niobium and silicon. Metals have extremely important applications in catalysis. This study will obtain spectroscopic information about diatomic molecules and clusters of metal atoms to enable the strengths of bonds and other properties of the molecules to be determined. The properties of the diatomic molecules will be compared with those calculated using current theories and those of the larger clusters will form a connection to the properties of the bulk solid.