title: Au20 nanocluster protected by hemilabile phosphines.
abstract: A novel phosphine-protected Au(20) nanocluster was isolated through the reduction of Au(PPhpy(2))Cl by NaBH(4) (PPhpy(2) = bis(2-pyridyl)-phenylphosphine). Its composition was determined to be [Au(20)(PPhpy(2))(10)Cl(4)]Cl(2), and single crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed that the Au(20) core can be viewed as being generated from the fusion of two Au(11) clusters via sharing two vertices. Optical absorption spectroscopy indicated this Au(20) has a large HOMO-LUMO gap (E(g) ≈ 2.24 eV). This is the first example of a ligand-protected gold nanocluster with a core generated from incomplete icosahedral Au(11) building units.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xian-Kai
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Zhi-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Quan-Ming
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D008958:Models, Molecular; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D050607:Organogold Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D010720:Phosphines / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D050607:Organogold Compounds; D010720:Phosphines