1
|
Deibert D, Khetrapal NS, Zeng XC. Large-Sized Au n- Core-Shell Clusters ( n = 61-66): Enduring Structure of the Icosahedral Au 13 Core. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:1389-1397. [PMID: 35113571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c04177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Large-sized gold Aun- anion clusters exhibit structural characteristics drastically different from other coinage metals. Typically, coinage metal nanoclusters exhibit a 13-atom icosahedral core at the cluster size of 55. Gold clusters, contrarily, do not entail this core until the size reaches 60. Here, we investigated the robustness of the icosahedral core within the large-sized Aun- anion clusters. We found that the icosahedral core persists over the size of range of n = 61-66. To adapt the exceptional robustness of the icosahedral core, the shells of the clusters tend to undergo notable structural deformations with polygonal defects. As the cluster size increases from 61 to 66, the core starts to become distorted at n = 64 and the space between the core and shell becomes enlarged. To our knowledge, this is the first theoretical study that provides the simulated photoelectron spectra of the two largest sized gold clusters: Au65- and Au66-.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Deibert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska─Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Navneet Singh Khetrapal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska─Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Xiao Cheng Zeng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska─Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dong J, Gao ZH, Wang LS. The synthesis and characterization of a new diphosphine-protected gold hydride nanocluster. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:034307. [PMID: 34293870 DOI: 10.1063/5.0056958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gold is the most inert metal and does not form a bulk hydride. However, gold becomes chemically active in the nanometer scale and gold nanoparticles have been found to exhibit important catalytic properties. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a highly stable ligand-protected gold hydride nanocluster, [Au22H3(dppee)7]3+ [dppee = bis(2-diphenylphosphino) ethyl ether]. A synthetic method is developed to obtain high purity samples of the gold trihydride nanocluster with good yields. The properties of the new hydride cluster are characterized with different experimental techniques, as well as theoretical calculations. Solid samples of [Au22H3(dppee)7]3+ are found to be stable under ambient conditions. Both experimental evidence and theoretical evidence suggest that the Au22H3 core of the [Au22H3(dppee)7]3+ hydride nanocluster consists of two Au11 units bonded via two triangular faces, creating six uncoordinated Au sites at the interface. The three H atoms bridge the six uncoordinated Au atoms at the interface. The Au11 unit behaves as an eight-electron trivalent superatom, forming a superatom triple bond (Au11 ≡ Au11) in the [Au22H3(dppee)7]3+ trihydride nanocluster assisted by the three bridging H atoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Ze-Hua Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Lai-Sheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kulichenko M, Chen WJ, Zhang YY, Xu CQ, Li J, Wang LS. Double σ-Aromaticity in a Planar Zinc-Doped Gold Cluster: Au 9Zn . J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:4606-4613. [PMID: 34014680 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c02954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The strong relativistic effects result in many interesting chemical and physical properties for gold and gold compounds. One of the most surprising findings has been that small gold clusters prefer planar structures. Dopants can be used to tune the electronic and structural properties of gold nanoclusters. Here we report an experimental and theoretical investigation of a Zn-doped gold cluster, Au9Zn-. Photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that Au9Zn- is a highly stable electronic system with an electron binding energy of 4.27 eV. Quantum chemical studies show that the global minimum of Au9Zn- has a D3h structure with a closed-shell electron configuration (1A1'), which can be viewed as replacing the central Au atom by Zn in the open-shell parent Au10- cluster. The high electronic stability of Au9Zn- is corroborated by its extremely large HOMO-LUMO gap of 3.3 eV. Chemical bonding analyses revealed that the D3h Au9Zn- are bonded by two sets of delocalized σ bonds, giving rise to double σ aromaticity and its remarkable stability. Two planar low-lying isomers are also observed, corresponding to a similar triangular structure with the Zn atom on the edge and another one with one of the corner Au atoms moved to the edge of the triangle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Kulichenko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Wei-Jia Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Yang-Yang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Cong-Qiao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.,Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Lai-Sheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lundberg L, Martini P, Goulart M, Gatchell M, Bohme DK, Scheier P. Hydrogenated Gold Clusters from Helium Nanodroplets: Cluster Ionization and Affinities for Protons and Hydrogen Molecules. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2019; 30:1906-1913. [PMID: 31168747 PMCID: PMC6805818 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We report the mass spectrometric detection of hydrogenated gold clusters ionized by electron transfer and proton transfer. The cations appear after the pickup of hydrogen molecules and gold atoms by helium nanodroplets (HNDs) near zero K and subsequent exposure to electron impact. We focus on the size distributions of the gold cluster cations and their hydrogen content, the electron energy dependence of the ion yield, patterns of hydrogenated gold cluster cation stability, and the presence of "magic" clusters. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were performed to provide insight into ionization energies and proton affinities of gold clusters as well as into molecular hydrogen affinities of the ionized and protonated gold cluster cations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Lundberg
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Paul Martini
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marcelo Goulart
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Gatchell
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Physics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Diethard K Bohme
- Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Paul Scheier
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Förstel M, Jaeger BKA, Schewe W, Sporkhorst PHA, Dopfer O. Improved tandem mass spectrometer coupled to a laser vaporization cluster ion source. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2017; 88:123110. [PMID: 29289197 DOI: 10.1063/1.5010853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We describe two improvements to an existing tandem mass spectrometer coupled to a laser vaporization cluster ion source suitable for photodissociation spectroscopy: (i) cooling of the cluster source nozzle and (ii) mass selection prior to the photodissociation region via replacing an octupole ion guide by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The improved sensitivity and transmission enable the production of larger heteroatomic clusters as well as rare gas solvated clusters. We present two examples demonstrating the new capabilities of the improved setup. In the first application, cooling of the cluster source nozzle produces Si+Arn and Si2+Arn cluster cations with n = 1-25. Magic numbers are extracted from the mass spectrum by applying a transmission function obtained via simulations. In the second example, the vibronic photodissociation spectrum of cold Au4+ cluster ions is recorded with unprecedented detail, resolution, and sensitivity. Such high-resolution optical excitation spectra of metal cluster cations may serve as a benchmark for the performance of Franck-Condon simulations based on quantum chemical calculations for excited states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marko Förstel
- Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bertram K A Jaeger
- Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schewe
- Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp H A Sporkhorst
- Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Otto Dopfer
- Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mingos DMP. Structural and Bonding Issues in Clusters and Nano-clusters. STRUCTURE AND BONDING 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/430_2014_141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
|