Critical cluster size of metallic Cr and Mo nanoclusters

It is an intrinsic question whether or not the small metallic nanoclusters might have a structure different from the bulk structure. We observed a fac e-centered-cubic (fcc) structure for small Cr and Mo nanoclusters rather th an a bulk body-centered-cubic (bcc) structure. We determined the critical c luster size n(crit) to be 490+/-100 for metallic Cr nanoclusters and the ra nge of the n(crit) to be 1460-3900 for metallic Mo nanoclusters at which a structural transition from the fee structure into the bulk bcc structure oc curred.