Photoelectron spectroscopy of small tellurium clusters

Abstract Isolated tellurium clusters (Te n : n =2–9) were produced in a supersonic molecular beam and their vacuum-UV-photoelectron spectra were recorded at a photon energy of hν =8.3 eV by a photoionization–photoelectron–photoion triple coincidence method. The trimer and tetramer were obtained as stable species in the tellurium cluster beam, unlike sulfur and selenium. The spectra of the odd-membered tellurium clusters have a tendency to be split and broadened, in contrast to those of the even-membered clusters. For the clusters with n ⩾5, the spectra of tellurium clusters are similar to those of selenium counterparts, which may suggest a resemblance of the geometric structures between small tellurium and selenium clusters.