Lattice Compression Revealed at the ≈1 nm Scale

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Catalysis

Background:

• Lattice tuning at the nanoscale is challenging, with lattice compression at the ~1 nm scale previously unobserved.
• Unusual properties may arise from lattice compression, requiring experimental verification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve and characterize lattice compression in a ~1 nm gold nanocluster for the first time.
• To investigate the impact of lattice compression on the electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction.

Main Methods:

• Ligand induction was used to synthesize gold nanoclusters.
• Single-crystal X-ray crystallography was employed to detect lattice compression.
• Electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction was measured.
• Theoretical calculations were performed to understand structure-activity relationships.

Main Results:

• Achieved lattice compression in a ~1 nm gold nanocluster (Au52(CHT)28), specifically compressing the (110) facet lattice distance from 4.51 to 3.58 Å.
• The lattice-compressed nanocluster demonstrated superior electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction compared to control samples.
• No changes in lattice distances were observed for the (111) and (100) facets.

Conclusions:

• Ligand induction is an effective strategy for achieving nanoscale lattice compression in gold nanoclusters.
• Lattice compression significantly enhances electrocatalytic performance for CO2 reduction.
• Lattice tuning is a viable method for tailoring the properties and catalytic activity of metal nanoclusters.