Spin State Energetics of VGen−/0 (n = 5–7) Clusters and New Assignments of the Anion Photoelectron Spectra

The geometrical structures, electron leading configurations, and relative energies of the low‐lying states of VGen−/0 (n = 5–7) clusters have been investigated with density functional theory and CASSCF/CASPT2 method. The pure GGA BP86 functional gave almost the same relative energy order for the low‐lying states as the CASPT2 method. At the BP86 and CASPT2 levels, the ground states of VGen−/0 (n = 5–7) clusters were proposed to be the 1A1 and 2A1 of A‐VGe5−/0, 3A″ and 2A″, 2A′ (2E2) of A‐VGe6−/0, and 1A′ and 2A′ of A‐VGe7−/0 isomers. The adiabatic and vertical detachment energies (ADEs and VDEs) of the detachments of one electron from several orbitals of the anionic ground states were reported at the CASPT2 level. The calculated ADEs and VDEs corresponded well with the experimental values as observed in the 266 nm anion photoelectron spectra. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.