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Updated: Jun 12, 2025
Synthesis of Bimetallic Pt/Sn-based Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids
Published on: August 23, 2018
Structural Isomerism in Bimetallic Ag20Cu12 Nanoclusters
Guocheng Deng1,2, Sami Malola3, Taeyoung Ki1,2
1Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Structural isomers of atomically precise metal nanoclusters are highly sought after for investigating structure-property relationships in nanostructured materials. However, they are extremely rare, particularly those of alloys, primarily due to the challenges in their synthesis and structural characterization. Herein, for the first time, a pair of bimetallic isomeric AgCu nanoclusters has been controllably synthesized and structurally characterized. These two isomers share an identical molecular formula, Ag20Cu12(C≡CR)24 (denoted as AgCu-1 and AgCu-2; HC≡CR is 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetylene). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data analysis revealed that AgCu-1 possesses an Ag17Cu4 core composed of two interpenetrating hollow Ag11Cu2 structures. This core is stabilized by four different types of surface motifs: eight -C≡CR, one Cu(C≡CR)2, one Ag3Cu3(C≡CR)6, and two Cu2(C≡CR)4 units. AgCu-2 features a bitetrahedron Ag14 core, which is stabilized by three Ag2Cu4(C≡CR)8 units. Interestingly, AgCu-2 undergoes spontaneous transformation to AgCu-1 in the solution-state. Density functional theory calculations explain the electronic and optical properties and confirm the higher relative stability of AgCu-1 compared to AgCu-2. The controlled synthesis and structural isomerism of alloy nanoclusters presented in this work will stimulate and broaden research on nanoscale isomerism.
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