Clusters of Atoms and Molecules I is devoted to theoretical concepts and experimental techniques important in the rapidly expanding field of cluster science. Cluster properties are dicussed for clusters composed of alkali metals, semiconductors, transition metals, carbon, oxides and halides of alkali metals, rare gases, and neutral molecules. The book contains several well-integrated treatments, all prepared by experts. Each contribution starts out as simple as possible and ends with the latest results, so that the book can serve as a text for a course, an introduction into the field, or as a reference book for the expert.

With the central importance of electric polarizability and hyperpolarizability for a wide spectrum of activities, this book charts the trends in the accurate theoretical determination of these properties in specialized fields. The contributions include reviews and original papers that extend from methodology to applications in specific areas of primary importance such as cluster science and organic synthesis of molecules with specific properties.

This book provides an introduction to many-body methods for applications in quantum chemistry. These methods, originating in field-theory, offer an alternative to conventional quantum-chemical approaches to the treatment of the many-electron problem in molecules. Starting with a general introduction to the atomic and molecular many-electron problem, the book then develops a stringent formalism of field-theoretical many-body theory, culminating in the diagrammatic perturbation expansions of many-body Green's functions or propagators in terms of Feynman diagrams. It also introduces and analyzes practical computational methods, such as the field-tested algebraic-diagrammatic construction (ADC) schemes. The ADC concept can also be established via a wave-function based procedure, referred to as intermediate state representation (ISR), which bridges the gap between propagator and wave-function formulations. Based on the current rapid increase in computer power and the development of efficient computational methods, quantum chemistry has emerged as a potent theoretical tool for treating ever-larger molecules and problems of chemical and physical interest. Offering an introduction to many-body methods, this book appeals to advanced students interested in an alternative approach to the many-electron problem in molecules, and is suitable for any courses dealing with computational methods in quantum chemistry.

This book is an in-depth review of experiment and theory on electric-dipole polarizabilities. It is broad in scope, encompassing atomic, molecular, and cluster polarizabilities. Both static and dynamic polarizabilities are treated (in the absence of absorption) and a full tensor picture of the polarizability is used. Traditional experimental techniques for measuring electric polarizabilities are described in detail. Recently developed experimental methods, including light forces, position-sensitive time-of-flight deflection, and atom interferometry, are also extensively discussed. Theoretical techniques for calculating polarizabilities are reviewed, including a discussion on the use of Gaussian basis sets. Many important comparisons between theory and experiment are summarized in an extensive set of tables of polarizabilities of important atoms, molecules, and clusters. Applications of polarizabilities to many areas of chemistry and physics are described, including optics, chemical structure, interactions of gases and particles with surfaces, and the interaction of molecules with light. The emphasis is on a lucid presentation of the ideas and results with up-to-date discussions on important applications such as optical tweezers and nanostructure fabrication. This book provides an excellent overview of the importance of polarizabilities in understanding the physical, electronic, and optical properties of particles in a regime that goes from free atoms to condensed-phase clusters.

Atomic clusters are aggregates of atoms containing a few to several thousand atoms. Due to the small size of these pieces of matter, the properties of atomic clusters in general are different from those of the corresponding material in the macroscopic bulk phase. This monograph presents the main developments of atomic clusters and the current status of the field. The book treats different types of clusters with very different properties: clusters in which the atoms or molecules are tied by weak van der Waals interactions, metallic clusters, clusters of ionic materials, and network clusters made of typical covalent elements. It includes methods of experimental cluster synthesis as well as the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and magnetic properties of clusters, covering both experiments and the theoretical work that has led to our present understanding of the different properties of clusters. The question of assembling nanoclusters to form solids with new properties is also considered. Having an adequate knowledge of the properties of clusters can be of great help to any scientist working with objects of nanometric size. On the other hand, nanoclusters are themselves potentially important in fields like catalysis and nanomedicine.

Metal clusters, an intermediate state between molecules and the extended solid, show peculiar bonding and reactivity patterns. Their significance is critical to many areas, including air pollution, interstellar matter, clay minerals, photography, catalysis, quantum dots, and virus crystals. In Aromaticity and Metal Clusters, dozens of international experts explore not only the basic aspects of aromaticity, but also the structures, properties, reactivity, stability, and other consequences of the aromaticity of a variety of metal clusters. Although the concept of aromaticity has been known for nearly two centuries, there is no way to measure it experimentally and no theoretical formula to calculate it. In order to gain insight into its exact nature, the authors of this volume examine various indirect characteristics such as geometrical, electronic, magnetic, thermodynamic, and reactivity considerations. The book begins by discussing the evolution of aromaticity from benzene to atomic clusters. Next, more specialized chapters focus on areas of significant interest. Topics discussed include: Computational studies on molecules with unusual aromaticity Electronic shells and magnetism in small metal clusters A density functional investigation on the structures, energetics, and properties of sodium clusters through electrostatic guidelines and molecular tailoring The correlation between electron delocalization and ring currents in all metallic aromatic compounds Phenomenological shell model and aromaticity in metal clusters Rationalizing the aromaticity indexes used to describe the aromatic behavior of metal clusters 5f orbital successive aromatic and antiaromatic zones in triangular uranium cluster chemistry This collection of diverse contributions, composed of the work of scientists worldwide, is destined to not only answer puzzling questions about the nature of aromaticity, but also to provoke further inquiry in the minds of researchers.

Brings Readers from the Threshold to the Frontier of Modern Research Many-Body Methods for Atoms and Molecules addresses two major classes of theories of electron correlation: the many-body perturbation theory and coupled cluster methods. It discusses the issues related to the formal development and consequent numerical implementation of the methods from the standpoint of a practicing theoretician. The book will enable readers to understand the future development of state-of-the-art multi-reference coupled cluster methods as well as their perturbative counterparts. The book begins with an introduction to the issues relevant to the development of correlated methods in general. It next gives a formally rigorous treatment of aspects that pave the foundation toward the theoretical development of methods capable of tackling problems of electronic correlation. The authors go on to cover perturbation theory first in a fundamental way and then in the multi-reference context. They also describe the idea of state-specific theories, Fock space-based multi-reference coupled cluster methods, and basic issues of the single-reference coupled cluster method. The book concludes with state-of-the-art methods of modern electronic structure.