title: Hollow polyhedral structures in small gold-sulfide clusters.
abstract: Using ab initio methods, we investigate the structural evolution of a family of gold-sulfide cluster anions (Au(m)S(n)(-)). We show that this family of clusters exhibits simple size-evolution rules and novel hollow polyhedron structures. The highly stable Au(m)S(n)(-) species such as Au(6)S(4)(-), Au(9)S(5)(-), Au(9)S(6)(-), Au(10)S(6)(-), Au(11)S(6)(-), Au(12)S(8)(-), and Au(13)S(8)(-) detected in the recent ion mobility mass spectrometry experiment of Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18) (Angel et al. ACS Nano2010, 4, 4691) are found to possess either quasi-tetrahedron, pyramidal, quasi-triangular prism, or quasi-cuboctahedron structures. The formation of these polyhedron structures are attributed to the high stability of the S-Au-S structural unit. A unique "edge-to-face" growth mechanism is proposed to understand the structural evolution of the small Au(m)S(n)(-) cluster. A 3:2 ratio rule of Au/S is suggested for the formation of a hollow polyhedron structure among small-sized Au(m)S(n) clusters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: De-en
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiao Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Zeng