A family of lead clusters with precious metal cores.

ABSTRACT: Gold nanoparticles have been used for centuries, both for decoration and in medical applications. More recently, many of the major advances in cluster chemistry have involved well-defined clusters containing tens or hundreds of atoms, either with or without a ligand shell. In this paper we report the synthesis of two gold/lead clusters, [Au₈Pb₃₃]^6- and [Au₁₂Pb₄₄]^8-, both of which contain nido [Au@Pb₁₁]^3- icosahedra surrounding a core of Au atoms. Analogues of these large clusters are not found in the corresponding Ag chemistry: instead, the Ag-centered nido icosahedron, [Ag@Pb₁₁]^3-, is the only isolated product. The structural chemistry, along with the mass spectrometry which shows the existence of [Au₂Pb₁₁]^2- but not [Ag₂Pb₁₁]^2-, leads us to propose that the former species is the key intermediate in the growth of the larger clusters. Density functional theory indicates that secondary ?-type interactions between the [Au@Pb₁₁]^3- ligands and the gold core play a significant part in stabilizing the larger clusters.

SUBMITTER: Shu CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7351731 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature