title: Tri-icosahedral Gold Nanocluster [Au37(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)10X2](+): Linear Assembly of Icosahedral Building Blocks.
abstract: The [Au37(PPh3)10(SR)10X2](+) nanocluster (where SR = thiolate and X = Cl/Br) was theoretically predicted in 2007, but since then, there has been no experimental success in the synthesis and structure determination. Herein, we report a kinetically controlled, selective synthesis of [Au37(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)10X2](+) (counterion: Cl(-) or Br(-)) with its crystal structure characterized by X-ray crystallography. This nanocluster shows a rod-like structure assembled from three icosahedral Au13 units in a linear fashion, consistent with the earlier prediction. The optical absorption and the electrochemical and catalytic properties are investigated. The successful synthesis of this new nanocluster allows us to gain insight into the size, structure, and property evolution of gold nanoclusters that are based upon the assembly of icosahedral units (i.e., cluster of clusters). Some interesting trends are identified in the evolution from the monoicosahedral [Au13(PPh3)10X2](3+) to the bi-icosahedral [Au25(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)5X2](2+) and to the tri-icosahedral [Au37(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)10X2](+) nanocluster, which also points to the possibility of achieving even longer rod nanoclusters based upon assembly of icosahedral building blocks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.|School of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University , Changchun, Jilin 130024, China.
authors.forename: Renxi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Anindita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University , Changchun, Jilin 130024, China.
authors.forename: Hongzhu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Chakicherla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gayathri
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University , Changchun, Jilin 130024, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Nathaniel L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Roberto R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
authors.forename: Rongchao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jin
keywords: Au37 nanocluster; CO oxidation; clusters of clusters; mixed ligands; structure evolution