Thiolated Disc Nanoclusters with Pseudo-6-fold Symmetry

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Inorganic Chemistry

Background:

• High-symmetry metal nanoclusters (NCs) are difficult to synthesize.
• Understanding the role of ions in NC formation is crucial for controlling structure and properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first synthesis and precise structures of two discoidal silver nanoclusters, Ag69 and Ag78.
• To investigate the influence of chloride (Cl-) and sulfide (S2-) ions on the formation and structure of these NCs.
• To explore the photoluminescent and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized NCs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ag69 and Ag78 nanoclusters using mixed thiol ligands.
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction for atomically precise structure determination.
• Characterization of photoluminescent properties and photocatalytic activity.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of Ag69 and Ag78 with rare pseudo-6-fold symmetry.
• Demonstrated that Cl- ions in Ag69 assembly lead to different silver-sulfur coordination and Ag-Ag distances compared to S2- ions in Ag78.
• Identified shared outer shells and distinct core structures for Ag69 and Ag68.
• Observed photoluminescent properties and photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes.

Conclusions:

• Provides valuable insights into the formation mechanisms of high-symmetry metal NCs.
• Highlights the critical role of halide and chalcogenide ions in directing NC assembly.
• Suggests potential applications of these novel silver nanoclusters in photochemistry and catalysis.