Based on the density functional theory, we demonstrate that Aun (n=4–7) can have stabilized configurations such as like-ring and three dimensional (3D) clusters. Au4 adopt the square geometry with the D4h space group. The Au6 hexagonal cluster seems to be more stable than all other geometries with a zero magnetic moment. A new 3D Au6 can be retrieved with a slight difference in binding energy compared with the cyclic one.

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The selective excitation of fullerenes encapsulated in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is carried out by irradiating them using a UV laser, the wavelength of which corresponds exactly to their maximum of absorption. Under such conditions, fullerenes strongly absorb the laser energy, open, and break, while the containing SWCNT merely acts as both a nanoreactor and a mold which is only weakly heated by the laser. The containing tube confines the fullerene fragments, promotes their reconstruction into an inner tube, and protects them from air oxidation. This leads to the overall formation of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). The transformation is found to strongly depend on the laser irradiance and dose. This proves that the related mechanism is a multiphoton photolysis, different from the previous heat-induced transformation attempts found in the literature, whether the heat is produced by means of a thermostat, infrared laser, or nonresonant UV laser. The actual peapod-to-DWCNT transformation is monitored by Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

We present electrochemical impedance spectra made on gold alloy containing 30% silver electrodes of various roughnesses in aqueous perchlorate acid solution as supporting electrolyte in the absence and in the presence of mM of specifically adsorbed halide ions X (X = Br, at potentials where the dominant electrode process is the adsorption of the above anions. Efforts were mainly concentrated on the importance of surface preparation technique of the electrode and its influence on impedance spectra. Atomic scale inhomogeneities are introduced by mechanical treatment and can be decreased by annealing. Due to the annealing the double layer behaves as (almost) an ideal capacitance in the absence of specific adsorption though the surface roughness remains the same. A study of the related impedance behaviour in the presence of adsorbates even at very low concentrations (10 -4 M), revealed capacitance dispersion increasing with the extent of specific anion adsorption at the gold/silver surface.