Structure selection based on high vertical electron affinity for TiO2 clusters.

We study the structure and electronic properties of (TiO2)(2-10) clusters by using basin hopping based on density functional theory, combined with many-body perturbation theory. We show that in photoemission experiments performed on anions isomers with high electron affinity are selectively observed rather than those with the lowest energy. These isomers possess a highly reactive Ti3+ site. The selectivity for highly reactive clusters may be exploited for applications in catalysis.