A Two-Electron Silver Superatom Isolated from Thermally Induced Internal Redox Reaction of A Silver(I) Hydride

Rational syntheses under controllable reducing conditions in the preparation of superatoms with cluster electron number not exceeding two are challenging. Herein a dithiolate-stabilized two-electron silver nanocluster, Ag-10{S2P((OPr)-Pr-i)(2)}(8) (1), is isolated via a self-redox reaction of Ag-7(H){S2P((OPr)-Pr-i)(2)}(6) without adding extra reducing agents. The metal framework of Ag-7, a bicapped trigonal bipyramid, is highly correlated to that of Ag-10, suggesting Ag-7(H){S2P((OPr)-Pr-i)(2)}(6) acts as both reducing agent and template in cluster growth. 1 is highly fluorescent at ambient temperature and TD-DFT calculations indicate that the emission is of 1P(x)-> 1S nature.

Automated summary

A dithiolate-stabilized two-electron silver nanocluster, Ag-10{S2P((OPr)-Pr-i)(2)}(8) (1), was successfully isolated without adding extra reducing agents. The cluster exhibits high fluorescence at ambient temperature, with emission of 1P(x)-> 1S nature according to TD-DFT calculations.