Novel Polyhydrido Copper Nanoclusters
Scientific Achievement
Nanoclusters with chemical formula [Cu30H18{S2P(OnPr)2}12] were synthesized and shown to contain empty central Cu12 icosahedra with six of the eighteen hydrides in a seesaw geometry, where the central hydride bonds to four Cu atoms with a local C2v symmetry, hitherto unknown in metal hydride chemistry.
Significance and Impact
Ligand protected polyhydrido copper clusters like [Cu30H18{S2P(OnPr)2}12] constitute a new class of materials in nanoscience with great promise for uses in hydrogen storage for solar energy, selective catalysis, and other applications.
Research Details
- [Cu30H18{S2P(OnPr)2}12] was synthesized and characterized via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray diffraction.
- Single crystal neutron diffraction yielded a definitive determination of the hydrogen atom locations, in agreement with Density Functional Theory calculations.
“Polyhydrido Copper Nanoclusters with a Hollow Icosahedral Core: [Cu30H18{E2P(OR)2}12] (E=S or Se; R=nPr, iPr or iBu)”
Subrat Kumar Barik, Shou-Chih Huo, Chun-Yen Wu, Tzu-Hao Chiu, Jian-Hong Liao, Xiaoping Wang, Samia Kahlal, Jean-Yves Saillard, and C. W. Liu,
Chemistry Europe Journal, 26, 10471-10479 (2020).
