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Synthesis and Characterization of Three Multi‐Shell Metalloid Gold Clusters Au 32 (R 3 P) 12 Cl 8
Author(s) -
Kenzler Sebastian,
Fetzer Florian,
Schrenk Claudio,
Pollard Nia,
Frojd Andrew R.,
Clayborne Andre Z.,
Schnepf Andreas
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201900644
Subject(s) - dodecahedron , metalloid , crystallography , cluster (spacecraft) , shell (structure) , chemistry , gold cluster , characterization (materials science) , electronic structure , nanotechnology , materials science , metal , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , composite material , programming language
Three multi‐shell metalloid gold clusters of the composition Au 32 (R 3 P) 12 Cl 8 (R=Et, n Pr, n Bu) were synthesized in a straightforward fashion by reducing R 3 PAuCl with NaBH 4 in ethanol. The Au 32 core comprises two shells, with the inner one constituting a tilted icosahedron and the outer one showing a distorted dodecahedral arrangement. The outer shell is completed by eight chloride atoms and twelve R 3 P groups. The inner icosahedron shows bond lengths typical for elemental gold while the distances of the gold atoms in the dodecahedral arrangement are in the region of aurophilic interactions. Quantum‐chemical calculations illustrate that the Jahn–Teller effect observed within the cluster core can be attributed to the electronic shell filling. The easily reproducible synthesis, good solubility, and high yields of these clusters render them perfect starting points for further research.