Structures and ionization energies of sandwich clusters (V_n(benzene)_m)

Metal-molecule clusters V_n(benzene)_m were synthesized by the reaction of laser-vaporized vanadium atoms with benzene vapor. The clusters exhibit magic number behavior at m = n - 1, n, and n + 1 (n = 1-5), which is explicable in terms of the multiple decker sandwich structure for these stable clusters. The ionization energies of these sandwich clusters decrease significantly with increasing cluster size.