Density functional theory study of AunMn(n=1–8) clusters Original Research Article

Equilibrium geometries, relative stabilities, and magnetic properties of small AunMn (n=1–8) clusters have been investigated using density functional theory at the PW91P86 level. It is found that Mn atoms in the ground state AunMn isomers tend to occupy the most highly coordinated position and the lowest energy structure of AunMn clusters with even n is similar to that of pure Aun+1 clusters, except for n=2. The substitution of Au atom in Aun+1 cluster by a Mn atom improves the stability of the host clusters. Maximum peaks are observed for AunMn clusters at n=2, 4 on the size dependence of second-order energy differences and fragmentation energies, implying that the two clusters possess relatively higher stability. The HOMO–LUMO energy gaps of the ground state AunMn clusters show a pronounced odd–even oscillation with the number of Au atoms, and the energy gap of Au2Mn cluster is the biggest among all the clusters. The magnetism calculations indicate that the total magnetic moment of AunMn cluster, which has a very large magnetic moment in comparison to the pure Aun+1 cluster, is mainly localized on Mn atom.