Nano clusters

Nano cluster
 Nano cluster
• Nano cluster: A Grouping of a number of
Nanoparticles. A Semi crystalline
nanostructure with at least 1 dimension
being between 1-10nm and a narrow size
distribution.
• Nano crystal: Any nanomaterial with at least
1 dimension less than or equal to 100nm and
that is single crystalline
 Nano Clusters
 Nano clusters are particle that range
in size from a few atoms to several
thousand atoms.
 Nano clusters—near mono
dispersed particles that are
generally less than 10 nm to 100 A° .
in diameter
 Their high fraction of surface atoms
give them properties different from
bulk material properties.
 Different elements form different
bonds and different nano cluster
structures.
 These bonds and structures Fig. 1. Distinction between molecules,
contribute to their unique nanoparticles and bulk according to the
properties. number of atoms in cluster
 NANO CLUSTER SYNTHESIS-Laser Vaporization Technique

 This technique involves focusing a

laser beam onto a metal sample.
 Metal atoms evaporate and are
cooled with a flow of inert gas.
 As they cool the atoms combine
into nano clusters of varying sizes.
 They are then expanded through a
nozzle into a vacuum to further
cool them.

Fig 2. Apparatus to make

nanoparticles by laser induced
evaporation of atoms from the
surface of metal
 STRUCTURES
GEOMETRICAL STRUCTURE

 Crystal structure of large

nanoparticles have same structure
with somewhat different lattice as
bulk.
• e.g.
80 nm aluminum has FCC unit cell as
bulk aluminum have.

 Small particles having diameter <5

nm may have different structure.
• e.g.
Gold nanoparticles of 3-5 nm have an
icosahedral structure rather than the
bulk FCC
(a) the unit cell of bulk aluminum
(b) three possible structure of
Aluminum FCC, HCP, ICOS
 ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE

DENSITY OF STATES: it refers to

the no of energy levels in a
given interval of energy.

 Moving from bulk to small

metal clusters density of
states changes dramatically. Illustration of how energy levels of metal changes
when no. of atoms of the material is reduced
 The continuous density of
states in band is replaced by
a set of discrete energy
levels.

 Clusters of different sizes will

have different electronic
structures, and different
energy level separations.
 Types of Nano clusters
Ionic Nanoclusters
 Bond Strength: 2-4 eV / atom
 Tend to form boxes

NaCl Cluster

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 Types of Nano clusters
Metal Nanoclusters

• Metal clusters have

complicated bonding that
varies from metal to metal
• Due to this variation the
bond strength varies from
around 0.5 eV to 3 eV per
atom

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 Types of Cluster

Semiconductor
Clusters
• Composed of elements
(e.g. C, Si & Ge) which
are semiconductors in the
solid state.

• •Bonding
Includesis compound
covalent – bonds are directional and strong.
semiconductor
(heteroatomic) clusters,
with polar covalent-bonds
(e.g. GaxAsy).
 Types of Cluster
Ionic Clusters
• Heteroatomic clusters composed from atoms
with large difference in electronegativity.
• Bonding is predominately ionic (electrostatic).
• Examples: alkali metal halides [NaxCly](xy)+
and magnesium oxides [MgxOy]2(xy)+.
 BULK TO NANOTRANSITION

number of atoms does a cluster assume the property of the

bulk material
 Gold nano cluster having 1000 atoms or more is having same
melting point as the bulk Gold.

 Average separation of Copper atoms in a Copper cluster

approaches the value of the bulk material when cluster have 100
atoms or more.

• In general it appears that different properties of cluster reaches

the characteristics value of solids at different cluster sizes.

• The size of the cluster where the transition to bulk behavior occurs
appear to depend on the property being measured.
 Properties
 The physical, chemical and electronic properties of
nano clusters depends strongly on the number and
kind of atoms that makes the cluster.

 Reactivity, stability and magnetic behavior depends

on particle size.

 In some instances entirely new behavior which is not

seen in the bulk has been observed in nano clusters.