Ag2Au50(PET)36 Nanocluster: Dimeric Assembly of Au25(PET)18 Enabled by Silver Atoms

The assembly of atomically precise metal nanoclusters offers exciting opportunities to gain fundamental insights into the hierarchical assembly of nanoparticles. However, it is still challenging to control the assembly of individual nanoclusters at a molecular or atomic level. Herein, we report the dimeric assembly of Au-25(PET)(18) (PET=2-phenylethanethiol), where two Au-25(PET)(18) monomers are bridged together by two Ag atoms to form the Ag2Au50(PET)(36) dimer. The Ag2Au50(PET)(36) dimer is a unique mesomer, which has not been found in any other chiral metal nanoclusters. Furthermore, the Ag2Au50(PET)(36) dimer is distinct from the Au-25(PET)(18) monomer in its optical, electronic, and catalytic properties. This study is expected to provide a feasible strategy to precisely modulate the assembly of metal nanoclusters with controllable structures and properties.