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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Photoinduced isomerization-driven structural transformation between decanuclear and octadecanuclear gold(I) sulfido
Liao-Yuan Yao1, Vivian Wing-Wah Yam1
1Institute of Molecular Functional Materials and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Upon photoirradiation, isomerization of the ligands, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethene (dppee) from the cis to the trans form in polynuclear gold(I) sulfido clusters, led to the structural transformation of the decagold(I) cluster to the octadecagold(I) cluster. Both polynuclear μ3-sulfido gold(I) clusters have been fully characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The transformation process could be readily detected and monitored by UV-vis absorption, emission, and (31)P NMR spectroscopy in solution. Supported and driven by Au(I)···Au(I) bonding interactions, the nuclearity and symmetry of these clusters were largely different from each other, resulting in completely distinct photophysical features.
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