title: Thermodynamic-Driven Self-Assembly: Heterochiral Self-Sorting and Structural Reconfiguration in Gold(I)-Sulfido Cluster System.
abstract: By employing chiral precursors, a new class of chiral gold(I)-sulfido clusters with unique structures has been constructed. Interestingly, pure enantiomers of the precursors are found to self-assemble into chiral hexa- and decanuclear clusters sequentially, while a racemic mixture of them has resulted in heterochiral self-sorting of an achiral meso decanuclear cluster. Chirality has determined not only the symmetry and structures but also the photophysical behaviors of these clusters. The racemic mixture of decanuclear clusters undergoes rearrangement and heterochiral self-sorting to give a meso decanuclear cluster. The thermodynamic-driven heterochiral self-sorting of gold(I) clusters provides a means to develop controlled self-assembly that may be of relevance to the understanding of chirality in nature.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials (Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Liao-Yuan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials (Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Terence Kwok-Ming
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials (Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Vivian Wing-Wah
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Yam