Unveiling geometric and electronic structures of NbSi4 −/0 clusters and electron detachments of the anionic cluster: A quantum chemical investigation

This article presents computational insights into the geometric and electronic structures of NbSi4 −/0 clusters using density functional theory and the CASSCF/CASPT2 method. The anionic and neutral ground states are identified as the 1A′ and 2A′ states, respectively, within a trigonal bipyramidal isomer where the Nb atom occupies the equatorial position. The adiabatic detachment energy for the transition from the anionic ground state 1A′ to the neutral ground state 2A′ is estimated to be 2.30 eV.