| Abstract |
As finding an exact and manageable partition function for nanoclusters is a desirable but, so far, unattainable task, approximated treatments are proposed to explain and predict phase changes and phase coexistence at these size scales. In this article, a review of those approaches is presented, mainly focusing the authors work on the subject. The foundations and limitations of the proposed models are discussed and perspectives for extended treatments are given. The discussions are illustrated with new molecular dynamics simulations of unconstrained NaI and NaCl clusters. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110: 284-292, 2010 |
