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McCandler C, Pihlajamäki A, Malola S, Häkkinen H, Persson KA. Gold-Thiolate Nanocluster Dynamics and Intercluster Reactions Enabled by a Machine Learned Interatomic Potential. ACS NANO 2024; 18:19014-19023. [PMID: 38986022 PMCID: PMC11271183 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c03094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Monolayer protected metal clusters comprise a rich class of molecular systems and are promising candidate materials for a variety of applications. While a growing number of protected nanoclusters have been synthesized and characterized in crystalline forms, their dynamical behavior in solution, including prenucleation cluster formation, is not well understood due to limitations both in characterization and first-principles modeling techniques. Recent advancements in machine-learned interatomic potentials are rapidly enabling the study of complex interactions such as dynamical behavior and reactivity on the nanoscale. Here, we develop an Au-S-C-H atomic cluster expansion (ACE) interatomic potential for efficient and accurate molecular dynamics simulations of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters (Aun(SCH3)m). Trained on more than 30,000 density functional theory calculations of gold nanoclusters, the interatomic potential exhibits ab initio level accuracy in energies and forces and replicates nanocluster dynamics including thermal vibration and chiral inversion. Long dynamics simulations (up to 0.1 μs time scale) reveal a mechanism explaining the thermal instability of neutral Au25(SR)18 clusters. Specifically, we observe multiple stages of isomerization of the Au25(SR)18 cluster, including a chiral isomer. Additionally, we simulate coalescence of two Au25(SR)18 clusters and observe series of clusters where the formation mechanisms are critically mediated by ligand exchange in the form of [Au-S]n rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin
A. McCandler
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Materials
Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Antti Pihlajamäki
- Department
of Physics, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, FI 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sami Malola
- Department
of Physics, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, FI 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hannu Häkkinen
- Department
of Physics, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, FI 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, FI 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kristin A. Persson
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Zhang B, Xia C, Hu J, Sheng H, Zhu M. Structure control and evolution of atomically precise gold clusters as heterogeneous precatalysts. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:1526-1538. [PMID: 38168796 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05460h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Metal clusters have distinct features from single atom and nanoparticle (>1 nm) catalysts, making them effective catalysts for various heterogeneous reactions. Nevertheless, the ambiguity and complexity of the catalyst structure preclude in-depth mechanistic studies. The evolution of metal species during synthesis and reaction processes represents another challenge. One effective solution is to precisely control the structure of the metal cluster, thus offering a well-defined pre-catalyst. The well-defined chemical formula and configurations make atomically precise metal nanoclusters optimal choices. To fabricate an atomically precise metal nanocluster-based heterogeneous catalyst with enhanced performance, careful structural design of both the nanocluster and support material, an effective assembling technique, and a pre-treatment method for these hybrids need to be developed. In this review, we summarize recent advances in in the development of heterogeneous catalysts using atomically precise gold and alloy gold nanoclusters as precursors. We will begin with a brief introduction to the structural properties of atomically precise nanoclusters and structure determination of cluster/support hybrids. We will then introduce heterogeneous catalysts prepared from medium size (tens to hundreds of metal atoms) and low nuclearity nanoclusters. We will illustrate how ligand modification, support-cluster interaction, hybrid fabrication, and heteroatom (Pt, Pd Ag, Cu, Cd, Fe) introduction affect the structural properties and pretreatment/reaction-induced structural evolution of gold nanocluster pre-catalysts. Lastly, we will highlight the synthetic method of NCs@MOF hybrids and their effectiveness in circumventing the adverse cluster structural evolution. These findings are expected to shed light on the structure-activity relationship studies and future catalyst design strategies using atomically precise metal nanocluster pre-catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Anhui University, Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China.
| | - Chengcheng Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Anhui University, Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China.
| | - Jinhui Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Anhui University, Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China.
| | - Hongting Sheng
- Department of Chemistry, Anhui University, Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China.
| | - Manzhou Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Anhui University, Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China.
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Müller N, Banu R, Loxha A, Schrenk F, Lindenthal L, Rameshan C, Pittenauer E, Llorca J, Timoshenko J, Marini C, Barrabés N. Dynamic behaviour of platinum and copper dopants in gold nanoclusters supported on ceria catalysts. Commun Chem 2023; 6:277. [PMID: 38110481 PMCID: PMC10728199 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-01068-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the behaviour of active catalyst sites at the atomic level is crucial for optimizing catalytic performance. Here, the evolution of Pt and Cu dopants in Au25 clusters on CeO2 supports is investigated in the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction, using operando XAFS and DRIFTS. Different behaviour is observed for the Cu and Pt dopants during the pretreatment and reaction. The Cu migrates and builds clusters on the support, whereas the Pt creates single-atom active sites on the surface of the cluster, leading to better performance. Doping with both metals induces strong interactions and pretreatment and reaction conditions lead to the growth of the Au clusters, thereby affecting their catalytic behaviour. This highlights importance of understanding the behaviour of atoms at different stages of catalyst evolution. These insights into the atomic dynamics at the different stages are crucial for the precise optimisation of catalysts, which ultimately enables improved catalytic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Müller
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rareş Banu
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adea Loxha
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Schrenk
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz-Josef-Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria
| | - Lorenz Lindenthal
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz-Josef-Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria
| | - Christoph Rameshan
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz-Josef-Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria
| | - Ernst Pittenauer
- Institute of Analytics, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jordi Llorca
- Institute of Energy Technologies and Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, EEBE, Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janis Timoshenko
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlo Marini
- ALBA Synchrotron Light Facility, Carrer de la Llum 2-26, 08290, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noelia Barrabés
- Institute of Materials Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/165, 1060, Vienna, Austria.
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Biswas S, Das S, Negishi Y. Advances in Cu nanocluster catalyst design: recent progress and promising applications. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2023; 8:1509-1522. [PMID: 37772632 DOI: 10.1039/d3nh00336a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The quest for cleaner pathways to the production of fuels and chemicals from non-fossil feedstock, efficient transformation of raw materials to value-added chemicals under mild conditions, and control over the activity and selectivity of chemical processes are driving the state-of-the-art approaches to the construction and precise chemical modification of sustainable nanocatalysts. As a burgeoning category of atomically precise noble metal nanoclusters, copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) benefitting from their exclusive structural architecture, ingenious designability of active sites and high surface-to-volume ratio qualify as potential rationally-designed catalysts. In this Minireview, we present a detailed coverage of the optimal design strategies and controlled synthesis of Cu NC catalysts with a focus on tuning of active sites at the atomic level, the implications of cluster size, shape and structure, the ligands and heteroatom doping on catalytic activity, and reaction scope ranging from chemical catalysis to emerging photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Biswas
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
| | - Saikat Das
- Research Institute for Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
| | - Yuichi Negishi
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
- Research Institute for Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
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