Silver clusters: Optical absorption and ESR spectra; structure and calculation of electron transitions.

The formation of Ag and Ag clusters upon freezing out of aqueous-alcohol glassy solutions of AgClO by γ-irradiation at 77 K was established by ESR and optical spectroscopies. The Ag cluster is formed by subsequent addition of Ag ions to a silver atom, and the Ag cluster is most probably formed by the reduction of the Ag cluster by alcohol radicals. The energies of optical transitions and energy gaps far the Ag cluster (m = 0 to 3) were calculated. The absorption bands of the clusters shift to the UV region as the charge increases, which agrees with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]