Surface environment complication makes Ag29 nanoclusters more robust and leads to their unique packing in the supracrystal lattice

Silver nanoclusters have received unprecedented attention in cluster science owing to their promising functionalities and intriguing physical/chemical properties. However, essential instability significantly impedes their extensive applications. We herein propose a strategy termed surface environment complication to endow Ag-29 nanoclusters with high robustness. The Ag-29(S-Adm)(18)(PPh3)(4) nanocluster with monodentate PPh3 ligands was extremely unstable and uncrystallizable. By substituting PPh3 with bidentate PPh(2)py with dual coordination sites (i.e., P and N), the Ag-29 cluster framework was twisted because of the generation of N-Ag interactions, and three NO3 ligands were further anchored onto the nanocluster surface, yielding a new Ag-29(S-Adm)(15)(NO3)(3)(PPh(2)py)(4) nanocluster with high stability. The metal-control or ligand-control effects on stabilizing the Ag-29 nanocluster were further evaluated. Besides, Ag-29(S-Adm)(15)(NO3)(3)(PPh(2)py)(4) followed a unique packing mode in the supracrystal lattice with several intercluster channels, which has yet been observed in other M-29 cluster crystals. Overall, this work presents a new approach (i.e., surface environment complication) for tailoring the surface environment and improving the stability of metal nanoclusters.

Automated summary

This study presents a new approach for improving the stability of metal nanoclusters by complicating the surface environment, which successfully endows Ag-29 nanoclusters with high robustness. A unique packing mode in the supracrystal lattice has also been observed.