The geometry structures and electronic properties of Li_mB_n (m+n=12) clusters

The geometric structures, electronic properties, total and binding energies, harmonic frequencies, the highest occupied molecular orbital to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, and the vertical ionization potential energies of small Li_mB_n (m+n=12) clusters were investigated by the density functional theory B3LYP with a 6-311+G (2d, 2p) basis set. All the calculations were performed using the Gaussian09 program. For the study of the Li_mB_n clusters, the global minimum of the B₁₂ cluster was chosen as the starting point and the boron atoms were gradually replaced by Li atoms. The results showed that as the number of Li atoms increased, the stability of the Li_mB_n cluster decreased and the physical and chemical properties became more active. In addition, on average there was a large charge transfer from the Li atoms to the B atoms.