A platonic solid templating Archimedean solid: an unprecedented nanometre-sized Ag37 cluster

Cu20Si12: A Hollow Cage Constituted of a Copper Dodecahedron and a Silicon Icosahedron

A stable hollow copper silicide cage with Ih symmetry, Cu20Si12, constituted of a copper dodecahedron and a silicon icosahedron, was investigated using density functional theory. Molecular dynamics simulations show that Cu20Si12 retains its geometric topology up to an effective temperature of about 962 K. The molecule has a HOMO-LUMO gap of 1.099 eV, indicating its relatively high chemical stability. These frontier molecular orbitals show clear characteristics of hybridization between Si 3p and Cu 3d electrons. This proposed structure helps to extend the range of high-symmetry molecular polyhedral species. The hollow space within Cu20Si12 can be used to accommodate other atoms or molecules and emphasizes the benefit of studying endohedral fullerenes.

Acid-Base-Triggered Structural Transformation of a Polyoxometalate Core Inside a Dodecahedrane-like Silver Thiolate Shell

Self-assembly of metavanadate and organosilver(I) salts leads to a novel dodecahedrane-like [Ag30 ((t) BuS)20 ](10+) silver(I) thiolate nanocage that tightly wraps an unusual C2h polyoxovanadate anion. The polyoxovanadate core undergoes transformation to a D3d configuration upon acidification, and reverts back to its original C2h structure upon addition of base. Chromism was observed for the silver(I) thiolate cluster during the configurational change of the central polyoxovanadate core; the color of the solution changes reversibly from green to dark yellow. This work represents the first reported example of chromic polyoxometalate-templated silver(I) thiolate shells that respond to external acid-base stimuli. It also represents an important advance in providing crystallographic proof that structural transformations occur in a nanoscale core-shell cluster.