title: Differences and Commonalities in the Gas-Phase Reactions of Closed-Shell Metal Dioxide Clusters [MO2 ](+) (M=V, Nb, and Ta) with Methane.
abstract: High-level electronic structure calculations, in combination with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometric studies, permit the mechanism by which closed-shell, "naked" [TaO2 ](+) brings about C-H bond activation of methane to be revealed. These studies also help to understand why the lighter congeners of [MO2 ](+) (M=V, Nb) are unreactive under ambient conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Shaodong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.|Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130023, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jilai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlangen
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. Helmut.Schwarz@tu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwarz
keywords: cluster compounds; density functional calculations; gas-phase reactions; reaction mechanisms; transition metals