LAUSR

Abstract A methodology previously suggested for niobium clusters is here applied to the prediction of the ground spin-state of the niobium clusters doped with aluminum atoms. By using all-electron density functional theory with Douglas-Kroll-Hess correction, the spin-state, geometry, hardness, binding energy, ionization potential, electron affinity, and mean static dipole polarizability of the Nb x Al y clusters are examined. The ground spin-states obtained from the energy minimization were confronted with the results provided by the maximum hardness principle (MHP) and by the minimum polarizability principle (MPP). In general, the MHP and MPP have yielded the expected results, i.e., in agreement with the ones obtained from the minimum energy. Additionally, were compared the theoretical results for polarizability, ionization potential, and reactivity with the available experimental values.