Search results for "nanoclusters"
showing 10 items of 164 documents
Raman Spectroscopic Fingerprints of Atomically Precise Ligand Protected Noble Metal Clusters: Au 38 (PET) 24 and Au 38− x Ag x (PET) 24
2021
Distinct Raman spectroscopic signatures of the metal core of atomically precise, ligand-protected noble metal nanoclusters are reported using Au38 (PET)24 and Au38- x Agx (PET)24 (PET = 2-phenylethanethiolate, -SC2 H4 C6 H5 ) as model systems. The fingerprint Raman features (occurring <200 cm-1 ) of these clusters arise due to the vibrations involving metal atoms of their Au23 or Au23- x Agx cores. A distinct core breathing vibrational mode of the Au23 core has been observed at 90 cm-1 . Whereas the breathing mode shifts to higher frequencies with increasing Ag content of the cluster, the vibrational signatures due to the outer metal-ligand staple motifs (between 200 and 500 cm-1 ) do not s…
Co-crystallization of atomically precise metal nanoparticles driven by magic atomic and electronic shells
2018
This paper reports co-crystallization of two atomically precise, different-size ligand-stabilized nanoclusters, a spherical (AuAg)267(SR)80 and a smaller trigonal-prismatic (AuAg)45(SR)27(PPh3)6 in 1:1 ratio, characterized fully by X-ray crystallographic analysis (SR = 2,4-SPhMe2). The larger cluster has a four concentric-shell icosahedral structure of Ag@M12@M42@M92@Ag120(SR)80 (M = Au or Ag) with the inner-core M147 icosahedron observed here for metal nanoparticles. The cluster has an open electron shell of 187 delocalized electrons, fully metallic, plasmonic behavior, and a zero HOMO-LUMO energy gap. The smaller cluster has an 18-electron shell closing, a notable HOMO-LUMO energy gap and…
Strong, Rapid and Reversible Photochromic Response of Nb doped TiO2 Nanocrystal Colloids in Hole Scavenging Media
2020
Understanding photochromicity is essential for developing new means of modulating the optical properties and optical response of materials. Here, we report on the synthesis and exciting new photochromic behavior of Nb5+ doped TiO2 nanoparticle colloids (NCs). We find that in hole scavenging media, Nb5+ doping significantly improves the photochromic response time of TiO2 nanoparticles. In the infrared regime, Nb-doped TiO2 NCs exhibit an order of magnitude faster photoresponse kinetics than the pristine TiO2. Enhanced photochromic response is observed in the visible light regime as well. The transmittance of Nb-doped TiO2 NCs drops to 10% in less than 2 minutes when irradiated by UV light in…
Distorted f.c.c. arrangement of gold nanoclusters: a model of spherical particles with microstrains and stacking faults
2008
The structures of two samples of gold nanoclusters supported on silica were studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The data relative to both techniques were analysed by an approach involving simulation based on structural models and fitting. The XRD model concerned a distorted f.c.c. (face-centred cubic) arrangement, with microstrains and parallel stacking faults in approximately spherical particles; as an alternative possibility, a linear combination of ordered f.c.c. and noncrystalline (decahedral and icosahedral) particles was also taken into account. Both approaches gave calculated patterns closely resembling the experimental data. X-ray absorption …
Combined small-angle x-ray scattering/extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of coated Co nanoclusters in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate
2009
Chemically stable cobalt nanostructures have been prepared with Co(II) reduction in the confined space of cobalt bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate, Co(AOT)2, reverse micelles dispersed in n-heptane. The reaction was carried out by adding a solution of sodium borohydride in ethanol (1% weight) to a 0.2M micellar solution of Co(AOT)2 in n-heptane at a reductant to Co(II) molar ratio of 4. This procedure involves the rapid formation of surfactant-coated Co nanoparticles followed by their slow separation as nanostructures embedded in a sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate matrix. The resulting composites, characterized by extended x-ray absorption fine structure and small-angle x-ray scattering…
Gas sensing properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with rhodium nanoparticles
2011
International audience; In the present work, multiwalled carbon nanotubes were decorated with rhodium nanoparticles using a colloidal solution in the post-discharge of an RF atmospheric plasma of argon (Ar) or argon/oxygen (Ar:O 2). The properties of these hybrid materials towards the room temperature detection of NO 2 , C 2 H 4 , CO, C 6 H 6 and moisture were investigated and discussed in view of compositional and morphological studies. It was found that the presence of oxygen in the plasma treatment is essential to significantly enhance the gas response of Rh-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes and to avoid response saturation even at low gas/vapor concentrations. These desirable effec…
Atomically Precise, Thiolated Copper–Hydride Nanoclusters as Single-Site Hydrogenation Catalysts for Ketones in Mild Conditions
2019
Copper-hydrides are known catalysts for several technologically important reactions such as hydrogenation of CO, hydroamination of alkenes and alkynes, and chemoselective hydrogenation of unsaturated ketones to unsaturated alcohols. Stabilizing copper-based particles by ligand chemistry to nanometer scale is an appealing route to make active catalysts with optimized material economy; however, it has been long believed that the ligand-metal interface, particularly if sulfur-containing thiols are used as stabilizing agent, may poison the catalyst. We report here a discovery of an ambient-stable thiolate-protected copper-hydride nanocluster [Cu25H10(SPhCl2)18]3- that readily catalyzes hydrogen…
Highly Robust but Surface-Active: N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Stabilized Au25 Nanocluster as a Homogeneous Catalyst
2019
<div> <div> <div> <p>Surface organic ligands play a critical role in stabilizing atomically precise metal nanoclusters in solutions. However, it is still challenging to prepare highly robust ligated metal nanoclusters that are surface-active for liquid-phase catalysis without any pre-treatment. Herein, we report a novel N-heterocyclic carbine-stabilized Au25 nanocluster with high thermal and air stabilities as a homogenous catalyst for cycloisomerization of alkynyl amines to indoles. The nanocluster, characterized as [Au25(iPr2-bimy)10Br7]2+ (iPr2-bimy=diisopropyl-benzilidazolium) (1), was synthesized by direct reduction of AuSMe2Cl and iPr2- bimyAuBr with NaBH4 in o…
First-principles calculations on Fe-Pt nanoclusters of various morphologies
2017
Financial support provided by Scientific Research Project for Students and Young Researchers Nr. SJZ/2016/17 implemented at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, is greatly acknowledged. A.P. and R.E. express their gratitude to High-performance computer centers of ISSP (University of Latvia) and St. Petersburg University. This research was partially supported by Graphene Flagship GrapheneCore1-AMD-696656-4.
Role of Donor and Acceptor Substituents on the Nonlinear Optical Properties of Gold Nanoclusters
2018
In recent years, a large number of monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) have been studied by means of single crystal structure characterization. A central aspect of research on MPCs is the correlation of their interesting optical properties with structural features and the formulation of a theoretical framework that allows interpretation of their unique properties. For this, superatom and jellium models have been proven successful. Little attention, however, has been paid to the influence of the protecting ligands. Here, we investigate the effect of changes in [Au25(SR)18-x(SR′)x]−, where SR′ represents a para-substituted thiophenolate derivative (SPh-4-X). We computed the first hyperpolariz…