Decorating an Anticuboctahedral Copper Kernel with Labile Surface Coatings for Controlling Optical and Catalytic Properties

A family of 29 copper nanoclusters withprecise structureshas been prepared in a simple way. The clusters, with the same kernelof anticuboctahedral Cu-13, while different surface motifs,exhibit distinct properties of optical profiles and catalytic performance. Manipulating the interfacial/surface structure of ligand-stabilizedatomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) is one of the centraltasks in nanoscience because surface motifs are directly related tokey properties of nanomaterials. Although great progress has beenmade in engineering the surface of gold and silver nanoclusters, parallelstudies on lighter copper analogues hitherto remain unexplored. Inthis work, we report the design, synthesis, and structure of a newclass of copper nanoclusters featuring virtually identical kernelsbut different surface motifs. The four Cu-29 nanoclustersshare the same Cu-13 kernel with unprecedented anticuboctahedralarchitecture. Finely modulating synthetic parameters endows the Cu-13 core with diverse surface structures, thus affording theCu(29) series with labile surface coatings. More interestingly,the slight surface modification results in distinct optical and catalyticproperties of the cluster compounds, highlighting the importance ofthe surface structure in shaping the behaviors of copper nanomolecules.This work not only exemplifies the efficiency of surface engineeringfor controlling properties of well-defined copper nanoclusters butalso provides a new family of Cu materials with a clear molecularstructure and controlled surface motifs that hold great promise instudying structure-property relationships.

Automated summary

A family of 29 copper nanoclusters with precise structures has been prepared, showing different surface properties but the same Cu-13 kernel. These clusters exhibit distinct optical profiles and catalytic performance, indicating the importance of surface structure in shaping the behaviors of copper nanomolecules. This work not only exemplifies the efficiency of surface engineering for controlling properties of well-defined copper nanoclusters but also provides a new family of Cu materials with controlled surface motifs.