| Research Abstract |
On the basis of the results in the preceding fiscal year, the following two studies were performed; (1) development of a new method for generation of organometallic clusters using laser ablation of organometallic compound target, (2) the production of organometallic clusters with metal atoms having low electro-spin and the study of their electronic structures. Moreover, the electronic properties of metal clusters were investigated by femto-second laser spectroscopy.
According to our previous analysis on the production mechanism, it has been revealed that the rate determining step for the production of organometallic clusters is an-electron spin conversion into a lower spin. Thus, the use of the organometallic compound itself can be regarded as a promising way to generate the organometallic clusters efficiently, because the electron spin of metal atoms in the compound preferably exhibits a lower spin state. When a ferrocene molecule, which is one of the most typical organometallic compounds, was vaporized by laser ablation with another laser ablation of vanadium atoms, poly-ferrocene was successfully produced in gas phase, in which ferrocene molecules are piled up alternately with the vanadium atoms. Since alkali metal atoms prefer a lower electron spin, it seems easy to form organometallic clusters with the alkali metal atom. Indeed, C60-Na mixed clusters were formed efficiently, and it has been revealed that the electronic structure can be described as a charge transfer complex together with a local stable geometry.
Three Japanese members have been abroad to visit National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and they have been engaged on either femto-second laser spectroscopy or ZEKE spectroscopy of metal clusters and organometallic clusters. On the other hand, two NRC members of Dr. P. A. Hackett and Dr. D. M. Rayner have joined our group to discuss the electronic structure of C60-Na and to write a paper on the photoelectron spectroscopy of C60- Na cluster anions.
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