Abstract:
13-atom platinum nanoclusters have been synthesized quantitatively in the pores
of the zeolites NaY and KL. They reveal highly interesting magnetic properties like high-spin
states, a blocking temperature, and super-diamagnetism, depending heavily on the loading
of chemisorbed hydrogen. Additionally, EPR active states are observed. All of these
magnetic properties are understood best if one considers the near-spherical clusters as
analogs of transition metal atoms with low-spin and high-spin states, and with delocalized
molecular orbitals which have a structure similar to that of atomic orbitals. These clusters
are, therefore, called superatoms, and it is their analogy with normal atoms which is in the
focus of the present work, but further phenomena, like the observation of a magnetic
blocking temperature and the possibility of superconductivity, are discussed.
