IONIZATION ENERGIES OF ALUMINUM-CESIUM BIMETALLIC CLUSTERS (ALNCSM)

Aluminum-cesium bimetallic clusters (AlnCsm) were produced by the combination of laser vaporization and a high-temperature pulsed nozzle. To investigate their electronic structures, ionization energies (E(i)s) of the AlnCsm clusters were measured using a tunable ultraviolet laser combined with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. In general, their Ep decrease by 0.4-1.0 eV with increasing number of cesium atoms, but discontinuous changes in E(i)s can be also observed, which are attributed to electronic shell structures; completeness of electron shell by the addition of a Cs atom induces high E(i), and an excess electron from the Cs atom results in large E(i) decrement. The electronic stability of the AlnCsm clusters can be also examined by their abundance.