Smallest fullerene-like silicon cage stabilized by a V_2 unit

摘要

We conducted a combined anion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory study on V_2Si_(20) cluster. Our results show that the V_2Si_(20) cluster has an elongated dodecahedron cage structure with a V_2 unit encapsulated inside the cage. It is the smallest fullerene-like silicon cage and can be used as building block to make cluster-assembled materials, such as pearl-chain style nanowires.