Structural features and energetics of Znn-mCdm (n=7,8) microclusters and Zn-50, Cd-50, and Zn25Cd25 nanoparticles: Molecular-dynamics simulations

The structural features and energetics of Znn−mCdm (n=7,8) microclusters and Zn50, Cd50, and Zn25Cd25 nanoparticles have been investigated by performing molecular-dynamics computer simulations using a recently developed empirical many-body potential-energy function. The most stable structures were found to be compact and three-dimensional for all elemental and mixed clusters. An interesting structural feature of the mixed clusters is that Zn and Cd atoms do not mix in mixed clusters; they come together almost without mixing