A1 Journal article (refereed)
Copper-hydride nanoclusters with enhanced stability by N-heterocyclic carbenes (2021)

Shen, H., Wang, L., López-Estrada, O., Hu, C., Wu, Q., Cao, D., Malola, S., Teo, B. K., Häkkinen, H., & Zheng, N. (2021). Copper-hydride nanoclusters with enhanced stability by N-heterocyclic carbenes. Nano Research, 14(9), 3303-3308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3389-9

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Shen, Hui; Wang, Lingzheng; López-Estrada, Omar; Hu, Chengyi; Wu, Qingyuan; Cao, Dongxu; Malola, Sami; Teo, Boon K.; Häkkinen, Hannu; Zheng, Nanfeng

Journal or series: Nano Research

ISSN: 1998-0124

eISSN: 1998-0000

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 23/03/2021

Volume: 14

Issue number: 9

Pages range: 3303-3308

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Hong Kong

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3389-9

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/74893

Abstract

Copper-hydrides have been intensively studied for a long time due to their utilization in a variety of technologically important chemical transformations. Nevertheless, poor stability of the species severely hinders its isolation, storage and operation, which is worse for nano-sized ones. We report here an unprecedented strategy to access to ultrastable copper-hydride nanoclusters (NCs), namely, using bidentate N-heterocyclic carbenes as stabilizing ligands in addition to thiolates. In this work, a simple synthetic protocol was developed to synthesize the first large copper-hydride nanoclusters (NCs) stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). The NC, with the formula of Cu31(RS)25(NHC)3H6 (NHC = 1,4-bis(1-benzyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-ium-3-yl) butane, RS = 4-fluorothiophenol), was fully characterized by high resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrum, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultra-violet visible spectroscopy, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Structurally, the title cluster exhibits unprecedented Cu4 tetrahedron-based vertex-sharing (TBVS) superstructure (fusion of six Cu4 tetrahedra). Moreover, the ultrahigh thermal stability renders the cluster a model system to highlight the power of NHCs (even other carbenes) in controlling geometrical, electronic and surface structure of polyhydrido copper clusters.

Keywords: nanoparticles; clusters; copper

Free keywords: metal clusters; copper-hydride; N-heterocylic carbene; stability; superatom

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Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2