Vanadium oxide clusters VxOy^q（x≤8, q=0, ±1） are classified according to the oxidation index （△=2y＋q-5x） of each cluster. Density functional calculations indicate that clusters with the same oxidation index tend to have similar bonding characters, electronic structures, and reactivities. This general rule leads to the findings of new possible ground state struc- tures for V206 and V3O6＋ clusters. This successful application of the classification method on vanadium oxide clusters proves that this method is very effective in studying the bonding properties of early transition metal oxide clusters.
The reactions of cationic zirconium oxide clusters （ZrxOy^＋） with ethylene （C2H4） were investigated by using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled with a laser ablation/supersonic expansion cluster source. Some hydrogen containing products （ZrO2）xH^＋（x=-1-4） were observed after the reaction. The density functional theory calculations indicate that apart from the common oxygen transfer reaction channel, the hydrogen abstraction channel can also occur in （ZrO2）x^＋＋C2H4, which supports that the observed （ZrO2）xH^＋ may be due to （ZrO2）x^＋＋C2H4→（ZrO2）xH^＋＋C2H3. The rate constants of different reaction channels were also calculated by Rice-Rarnsberger-Kassel-Marcus theory.
The reactions of anionic zirconium oxide clusters ZrxOy- with C2H6 and C4H10 are investi-gated by a time of flight mass spectrometer coupled with a laser vaporization cluster source.Hydrogen containing products Zr2O5H- and Zr3O7H- are observed after the reaction. Den-sity functional theory calculations indicate that the hydrogen abstraction is favorable in the reaction of Zr2O5- with C2H6, which supports that the observed Zr2O5H- and Zr3O7H- are due to hydrogen atom abstraction from the alkane molecules. This work shows a newpossible pathway in the reaction of zirconium oxide cluster anions with alkane molecules.
