Probing the Structural Evolution, Stabilities and Properties of LiBn (n = 2–12) Clusters.

In this paper, we used CALYPSO program which is conjuncted with DFT to investigate Li doped small-sized neutral Bn clusters. From ground-state and low energy structures, the properties and geometric significance of Li-doped boron clusters are greatly affected. Except for LiB9, which adds a B atom on preceding LiB8 boron wheel, the ground-state clusters of LiBn are formed by replacing the terminal boron atom of the Bn+1 clusters in the same size with a Li atom or by adding a Li atom to the Bn clusters. The transition point from 2 to 3D configuration of LiBn clusters appears at n = 5. The stability of LiBn clusters was analyzed by calculating the average binding energy, Gibbs free energy, first-order differential energy, second-order differential energy, HOMO–LUMO gap (the energy gap between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) and charge transfer. The results show that the LiB11 cluster with excellent symmetry and planar structure is the relative most stable structure. Molecular orbital and chemical bonding analysis indicated that the main reason for the stability of the LiB11 cluster is mainly due to the strong s-p bonding of B–B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]