A Chiral Gold Nanocluster Au20 Protected by Tetradentate Phosphine Ligands

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 53; no. 11; pp. 2923 - 2926
• Main Authors: Wan, Xian-Kai, Yuan, Shang-Fu, Lin, Zhi-Wei, Wang, Quan-Ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 10.03.2014; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Chelation; chiral structures; cluster compounds; Gold; Gold - chemistry; Ligands; Molecular Conformation; nanostructures; Nanostructures - chemistry; phosphines; Phosphines - chemistry; Quantum Theory; R&D; Research & development; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Stereoisomerism; gold; phosphines; cluster compounds; chiral structures; nanostructures
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201308599

The chirality of a gold nanocluster can be generated from either an intrinsically chiral inorganic core or an achiral inorganic core in a chiral environment. The first structural determination of a gold nanocluster containing an intrinsic chiral inorganic core is reported. The chiral gold nanocluster [Au20(PP3)4]Cl4 (PP3=tris(2‐(diphenylphosphino)ethyl)phosphine) has been prepared by the reduction of a gold(I)–tetraphosphine precursor in dichloromethane solution. Single‐crystal structural determination reveals that the cluster molecular structure has C3 symmetry. It consists of a Au20 core consolidated by four peripheral tetraphosphines. The Au20 core can be viewed as the combination of an icosahedral Au13 and a helical Y‐shaped Au7 motif. The identity of this Au20 cluster is confirmed by ESI‐MS. The chelation of multidentate phosphines enhances the stability of this Au20 cluster. Gold with a twist: A chiral Au20 nanocluster has been prepared by the reduction of a gold(I)–tetraphosphine complex. The C3 Au20 core can be viewed as the combination of an icosahedral Au13 (see picture, orange) and a helical Y‐shaped Au7 motif (green). This is the first structural determination of a gold nanocluster containing an intrinsic chiral inorganic core.