Size-selected metal nanoclusters in the gas phase

Description
Our group studies the gas phase chemistry and thermodynamics of size-selected transition metal nanoclusters. We find that small clusters often exhibit unique chemistry whereas even medium sized nanoclusters (10 or more atoms) yield reactivity that can be related to surfaces. Importantly, the thermochemistry of molecular fragments to these medium sized nanoclusters reaches plateaus that appear to mimic values from surface chemistry in the few cases where such information is available (e.g., H bound to iron in the figure shown).

Implications
To understand how the chemistry of small metal nanoclusters is altered by the support material necessary to turn them into potentially versatile catalysts, information on the chemistry of these species in the gas phase is needed. Our work is currently focused on reactions of nanocluster cations with small molecules (H2, O2, CO2, CH4, NH3), the feedstocks to common industrially important catalysts. The relationship between the thermochemistry found for medium sized nanoclusters and surfaces suggests that this gas phase data can provide robust information of utility to catalytic reactions across size dimensions for species that are inaccessible using more routine methods (e.g., C, CH, CH2, and CH3 in figure).

Research Group Contacts
Prof. Peter B. Armentrout, Chemistry http://www.chem.utah.edu/faculty/armentrout/index.html

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