Search results for "superatom"
showing 10 items of 39 documents
[Pt2Cu34(PET)22Cl4]2–: An Atomically Precise, 10-Electron PtCu Bimetal Nanocluster with a Direct Pt–Pt Bond
2021
Heteroatom-doped metal nanoclusters (NCs) are highly desirable to gain fundamental insights into the effect of doping on the electronic structure and catalytic properties. Unfortunately, their controlled synthesis is highly challenging when the metal atomic sizes are largely different (e.g., Cu and Pt). Here, we design a metal-exchange strategy that enables simultaneous doping and resizing of NCs. Specifically, [Pt2Cu34(PET)22Cl4]2- NC, the first example of a Pt-doped Cu NC, is synthesized by utilizing the unique reactivity of [Cu32(PET)24Cl2H8]2- NC with Pt4+ ions. The single-crystal X-ray structure reveals that two directly bonded Pt atoms occupy the two centers of an unusually interpenet…
Electronic Structure and Bonding of Icosahedral Core–Shell Gold–Silver Nanoalloy Clusters Au144–xAgx(SR)60
2011
Atomically precise thiolate-stabilized gold nanoclusters are currently of interest for many cross-disciplinary applications in chemistry, physics and molecular biology. Very recently, synthesis and electronic properties of "nanoalloy" clusters Au_(144-x)Ag_x(SR)_60 were reported. Here, density functional theory is used for electronic structure and bonding in Au_(144-x)Ag_x(SR)_60 based on a structural model of the icosahedral Au_144(SR)_60 that features a 114-atom metal core with 60 symmetry-equivalent surface sites, and a protecting layer of 30 RSAuSR units. In the optimal configuration the 60 surface sites of the core are occupied by silver in Au_84Ag_60(SR)_60. Silver enhances the electr…
Role of the central gold atom in ligand-protected biicosahedral Au 24 and Au25 clusters
2013
The crystal structures of the ligand-protected clusters [Au24(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)5Cl2]+ and [Au25(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)5Cl2]2+ have been elucidated recently, and they comprise the same biicosahedral structural motif for the Au core. The only difference is the central Au atom joining two icosahedra which is absent in the Au24 cluster. On the basis of density functional simulations, we have evaluated the structural, electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of the clusters in question with a full presentation for the thiolate and phosphine side groups. Our spherical harmonics analysis of the electronic structure shows that the chemical stability of both clusters can be understood based on an 8 …
A 58-electron superatom-complex model for the magic phosphine-protected gold clusters (Schmid-gold, Nanogold®) of 1.4-nm dimension
2011
We have re-investigated the structural identity of the famous gold-phosphine-halide Au:PR3:X compound having 55–69 gold atoms and core size of 1.4 nm (similar to “Schmid gold” or Nanogold®) from the viewpoint of the Superatom-Complex (SAC) model for ligand protected metal clusters, and in consideration of the ligand-adatom groups observed previously for the structurally known 39-atom cluster [Au39(PR3)14Cl6]−1. Density functional theory is used to define the formation energy of various compositions and structures, enabling a comparison of the stability of different cluster-sizes. In agreement with the SAC model, we find a strong correlation between optimal energy and delocalized electron sh…
A Homoleptic Alkynyl‐Ligated [Au 13 Ag 16 L 24 ] 3− Cluster as a Catalytically Active Eight‐Electron Superatom
2020
A new alkynylated cluster [Au13 Ag16 (C10 H6 NO)24 ]3- is prepared by a NaBH4 mediated reduction method. The AuAg clusters are confirmed by sophisticated characterization techniques. It has a unique "Aucenter @Ag12 @Au12 Ag4 " metal framework which is protected by 24 atypical alkyne ligands L (L=C10 H6 NO). The ligands construct a unique type of motif L-(Ag)-Au-(Ag)-L at the cluster interface, where the alkyne (C≡C) group of each L was linked by sharing an Au atom through the σ bonds and each C≡C group was discretely connected to a chemically different Ag atom (Agicosahedral /Agcap ) through π bonds. The electronic and optical properties of [Au13 Ag16 L24 ]3- were studied. DFT characterized…
Evidence of superatom electronic shells in ligand-stabilized aluminum clusters
2011
Ligand-stabilized aluminum clusters are investigated by density functional theory calculations. Analysis of Kohn-Sham molecular orbitals and projected density of states uncovers an electronic shell structure that adheres to the superatom complex model for ligand-stabilized aluminum clusters. In this current study, we explain how the superatom complex electron-counting rule is influenced by the electron-withdrawing ligand and a dopant atom in the metallic core. The results may guide the prediction of new stable ligand-stabilized (superatom) complexes, regardless of core and electron-withdrawing ligand composition.
Effects of Silver Doping on the Geometric and Electronic Structure and Optical Absorption Spectra of the Au_{25-n}Ag_{n}(SH)_{18}^{-} (n = 1, 2, 4, 6…
2012
The effect of silver doping of the Au25(SH)18– nanoparticle is studied by investigating Au25–nAgn(SH)18– (n = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) systems using DFT. For n = 1, doping of the icosahedral shell of the metal core is energetically more favorable than doping of the metal–thiolate units or the center of the core. For n ≥ 2, only doping of the core surface is considered, and arrangements where the silver dopants are in close proximity tend to be slightly less favorable. However, energy differences are small, and all conformations are accessible under experimental conditions. Boltzmann-averaged excitation spectra for these systems show similar features to the undoped Au25(SH)18–. The main differ…
A density functional investigation of thiolate-protected bimetal PdAu24(SR)18z clusters: doping the superatom complex
2009
Structure, electronic properties, optical absorption and charging properties of methylthiolate-protected bimetal PdAu(24)(SR)(18)(z) (R = Me) clusters with various charge states (-3or=zor= +3) are investigated by using density functional theory. The results are compared to properties of the well-understood singly anionic pure gold complex Au(25)(SR)(18)((-1)) [J. Akola, M. Walter, H. Häkkinen and H. Grönbeck, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 3756]. The atomic structure of this all-gold complex can be written in a "divide-and-protect" way [H. Häkkinen, M. Walter and H. Grönbeck, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 9927] as Au(13)[Au(2)(SR)(3)](6)((-1)) where 6 v-shaped Au(2)(SR)(3) ligands protect the…
New Quasi-Atomic Nanoheterostructures: Superatoms and Excitonic Quasi-Molecules
2016
In this review, the state-of-the-art of research of artificial atoms (superatoms or quasi-atomic nanoheterostructures) and more complex nanostructures based on them—synthetic molecules is discussed, a new model of an artificial atom, which satisfactorily explains its electronic properties, is proposed, and the prospects for development of the new scientific trend are mentioned. В этом обзоре обсуждается современное состояние исследований искусственных атомов (сверхатомов или квазиатомных наногетероструктур) и более сложных наноструктур на их основе — синтетических молекул, предложена новая модель искусственного атома, удовлетворительно объясняющая его электронные свойства, а также указаны п…
Point Group Symmetry Analysis of the Electronic Structure of Bare and Protected Metal Nanocrystals
2018
The electronic structures of a variety of experimentally identified gold and silver nanoclusters from 20 to 246 atoms, either unprotected or protected by several types of ligands, are characterized by using point group specific symmetry analysis. The delocalized electron states around the HOMO-LUMO energy gap, originating from the metal s-electrons in the cluster core, show symmetry characteristics according to the point group that describes best the atomic arrangement of the core. This indicates strong effects of the lattice structure and overall shape of the metal core to the electronic structure, which cannot be captured by the conventional analysis based on identification of spherical a…