Photoelectron Angular Distributions of Transition Metal Dioxide Anions - a joint experimental and theoretical study

Angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) studies of the MO$_{2}$- (M=Ti, Zr, Hf, Co, Rh) clusters are presented for the first time along with theoretical calculations of their properties. We confirm previously reported non-angular PES results for the vertical detachment energies (VDE), vibrational energies and geometric structures of these clusters and further explore the effect of the 'lanthanide contraction' on the MO$_{2}$- clusters by comparing the electronic spectra of 4d and 5d transition metal dioxides. Angular-resolved PES provides the angular momentum contributions to the HOMO of these clusters and we use theoretical calculations to examine the HOMO and compare to our experimental results. First-principles calculations are done using both density functional theory (DFT) and the coupled-cluster, singles, doubles and triples (CCSD(T)) methods.