Title: Embryonic Growth of Face-Center-Cubic Silver Nanoclusters Shaped in Nearly Perfect Half-Cubes and Cubes

Author: Huayan Yang, Juanzhu Yan, Yu Wang, Hai-Feng Su, Lars Gell, Xiaojing Zhao, Chaofa Xu, Boon K. Teo, Hannu Häkkinen, and Nanfeng Zheng

Abstract:

Demonstrated herein are the preparation and crystallographic characterization of the family of fcc silver nanoclusters from Nichol’s cube to Rubik’s cube and beyond via ligand–control (thiolates and phosphines in this case). The basic building block is ou edger previously reported fcc cluster [Ag14(SPhF2)12(PPh3)8] (1). The metal frameworks of [Ag38(SPhF2)26(PR’)8] (2³) and [Ag63(SPhF2)36(PR’)8]+ (2³), where HSPhF2=3,4–difluorothiophenol and R’=alkyl/aryl, are comprised of 2×2=4 and 2×2×2=8 metal cubes of 1, respectively. All serial clusters share similar surface structural features. The thiolate ligands cap the six faces and the twelve edges of the cube while the phosphine ligands are terminally bonded to its eight corners. Based on the analysis of the crystal structures of 1, 2², and 2³, we predict the next “cube of cubes”, [Ag172(SR)72(PR’3)8] (3³) and the growth evolution of the further particles in this series.

FULLLINK: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jacs.6b10053