Size evolution of electronic properties in free antimony nanoclusters

The evolution of electronic properties in free antimony (Sb) nanoclusters as a function of the cluster size has been studied experimentally using synchrotron radiation. Antimony 4d core-level and valence-band regions have been probed, and the 4d binding energies and valence ionization potentials of clusters of various mean sizes have been determined. The binding-energy shifts with respect to polycrystalline solid have been used for deriving the electronic properties of the clusters. The observed results suggest that even large Sb clusters are not metallic