Experimental vibrational spectra of gas-phase tantalum cluster cations

J Chem Phys. 2007 Dec 21;127(23):234307. doi: 10.1063/1.2806177.

Abstract

We present gas-phase infrared spectra of tantalum cluster cations containing 6-20 atoms. Infrared multiple photon dissociation of their complexes with argon atoms is used to obtain vibrational spectra in the region between 90 and 305 cm(-1). Many spectra have features in common with the vibrational spectra of the lighter homologs, vanadium and niobium, pointing to a common cluster growth mechanism.