Metal-Centered Boron-Wheel Cluster of Y©B112- with Rare D11h Symmetry.

Molecules with high point-group symmetry are interesting prototype species in the textbook. As transition metal-centered boron clusters tend to have highly symmetric structures to fulfill multicenter bonding and high stability, new boron clusters with rare point-group symmetry may be viable. Through in-depth scrutiny over the structures of experimentally already observed transition metal-centered boron-wheel complexes, geometric and electronic design principles are summarized, based on which we studied M©B11k- (M = Y, La; Zr, Hf; k = 1, 2) clusters and found that a Y©B112- boron-wheel complex has an unprecedented D11h point-group symmetry. The remarkable stability of the planar Y©B112- complex is illustrated via extensive global-minimum structural search as well as comprehensive chemical bonding analyses. Similar to other boron-wheel complexes, the Y©B112- complex is shown to possess σ and π double aromaticity, indeed following the electronic design principle previously summarized. This new compound is expected to be experimentally identified, which will extend the currently known largest possible planar molecular symmetry and enrich the metal-centered boron-wheel class.

Synthesis and characterization of iron clusters with an icosahedral [Fe@Fe12]16+ Core.

Iron-metal clusters are crucial in a variety of critical biological and material systems, including metalloenzymes, catalysts, and magnetic storage devices. However, a synthetic high-nuclear iron cluster has been absent due to the extreme difficulty in stabilizing species with direct iron-iron bonding. In this work, we have synthesized, crystallized, and characterized a (Tp*)4W4S12(Fe@Fe12) cluster (Tp* = tris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate(1-)), which features a rare trideca-nuclear, icosahedral [Fe@Fe12] cluster core with direct multicenter iron-iron bonding between the interstitial iron (Fei) and peripheral irons (Fep), as well as Fep···Fep ferromagnetic coupling. Quantum chemistry studies reveal that the stability of the cluster arises from the 18-electron shell-closing of the [Fe@Fe12]16+ core, assisted by its bonding interactions with the peripheral tridentate [(Tp*)WS3]4- ligands which possess both S→Fe donation and spin-polarized Fe-W σ bonds. The ground-state electron spin is theoretically predicted to be S = 32/2 for the cluster. The existence of low oxidation-state (OS ∼ +1.23) iron in this compound may find interesting applications in magnetic storage, spintronics, redox chemistry, and cluster catalysis.

A homologous series of macrocyclic Ni clusters: synthesis, structures, and catalytic properties.

Due to their intriguing ring structures and promising applications, nickel-thiolate clusters, such as [Nin(SR)2n] (n = 4-6), have attracted tremendous interest. However, investigation of the synthesis, structures, and properties of macrocyclic Nin clusters (n > 8) has been seriously impeded. In this work, a homologous series of macrocyclic nickel clusters, Nin(4MPT)2n (n = 9-12), was fabricated by using 4-methylphenthiophenol (4MPT) as the ligand. The structures and compositions of the clusters were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) in combination with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Experimental results and theoretical calculations show that the electronic structures of the clusters do not change significantly with the increase of Ni atoms. The coordination interactions between Ni and S atoms in [NiS4] subunits are proved to play a crucial rule in the remarkable stability of Ni clusters. Finally, these clusters display excellent catalytic activity towards the reduction of p-nitrophenol, and a linear correlation between catalytic activity and ring size was revealed. The study provides a facile approach to macrocyclic homoleptic nickel clusters, and contributes to an in-depth understanding of the structure-property correlations of nickel clusters at the atomic level.

Pd8 Nanocluster with Nonmetal-to-Metal- Ring Coordination and Promising Photothermal Conversion Efficiency.

Constructing ambient-stable, single-atom-layered metal-based materials with atomic precision and understanding their underlying stability mechanisms are challenging. Here, stable single-atom-layered nanoclusters of Pd were synthesized and precisely characterized through electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. A pseudo-pentalene-like Pd8 unit was found in the nanocluster, interacting with two syn PPh units through nonmetal-to-metal -ring coordination. The unexpected coordination, which is distinctly different from the typical organoring-to-metal coordination in half-sandwich-type organometallic compounds, contributes to the ambient stability of the as-obtained single-atom-layered nanocluster as revealed through theoretical and experimental analyses. Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations revealed dominant electron transition along the horizontal x-direction of the Pd8 plane, indicating high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of the nanocluster, which was verified by the experimental PCE of 73.3 %. Therefore, this study unveils the birth of a novel type of compound and the finding of the unusual nonmetal-to-metal -ring coordination and has important implications for future syntheses, structures, properties, and structure-property correlations of single-atom-layered metal-based materials.

Rh19-: A high-spin super-octahedron cluster.

Probing atomic clusters with magic numbers is of supreme importance but challenging in cluster science. Pronounced stability of a metal cluster often arises from coincident geometric and electronic shell closures. However, transition metal clusters do not simply abide by this constraint. Here, we report the finding of a magic-number cluster Rh19- with prominent inertness in the sufficient gas-collision reactions. Photoelectron spectroscopy experiments and global-minimum structure search have determined the geometry of Rh19- to be a regular Oh­[Rh@Rh12@Rh6]- with unusual high-spin electronic configuration. The distinct stability of such a strongly magnetic cluster Rh19- consisting of a nonmagnetic element is fully unveiled on the basis of its unique bonding nature and superatomic states. The 1-nanometer-sized Oh-Rh19- cluster corresponds to a fragment of the face-centered cubic lattice of bulk rhodium but with altered magnetism and electronic property. This cluster features exceptional electron-spin state isomers confirmed in photoelectron spectra and suggests potential applications in atomically precise manufacturing involving spintronics and quantum computing.

Au16 Cd16 (SC6 H11 )20 : A Glance at Structure-Property Relationship.

Doping Cd atom(s) into gold clusters is very promising in both theoretical study and practical applications. However, it has long been a challenge to synthesize heavily Cd-doped AuCd bimetallic clusters and thereby reveal their structure-property correlations. Herein a novel AuCd bimetallic cluster: Au16 Cd16 (SC6 H11 )20 (SC6 H11 denotes deprotonated cyclohexanethiol) with a Cd to Au atomic ratio of 1:1 is reported. The precise structure of the cluster determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction demonstrates that it has a unique hexatetrahedron Au14 core and a distinctive shell. Intriguingly, due to the special protecting motifs, the cluster exhibits high stability in various conditions studied, indicating that the geometric structure is crucial in determining the stability of the cluster. Most importantly, the photothermal property of the cluster has been investigated in comparison with those of M13 -kernel (M denotes metal atoms) clusters, and the results imply that the compactness and the Cd atom doping of the core play important roles in dictating the photothermal effect of the cluster. The authors believe that this work will provide some ideas for the rational design of clusters with high stability and excellent photothermal property.

A 13-million turnover-number anionic Ir-catalyst for a selective industrial route to chiral nicotine.

Developing catalysts with both useful enantioselectivities and million turnover numbers (TONs) for asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones is attractive for industrial production of high-value bioactive chiral entities but remains a challenging. Herein, we report an ultra-efficient anionic Ir-catalyst integrated with the concept of multidentate ligation for asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones. Biocatalysis-like efficacy of up to 99% ee (enantiomeric excess), 13,425,000 TON (turnover number) and 224 s-1 TOF (turnover frequency) were documented for benchmark acetophenone. Up to 1,000,000 TON and 99% ee were achieved for challenging pyridyl alkyl ketone where at most 10,000 TONs are previously reported. The anionic Ir-catalyst showed a novel preferred ONa/MH instead of NNa/MH bifunctional mechanism. A selective industrial route to enantiopure nicotine has been established using this anionic Ir-catalyst for the key asymmetric hydrogenation step at 500 kg batch scale, providing 40 tons scale of product.

Surface enrichment of Ir on the IrRu alloy for efficient and stable water oxidation catalysis in acid.

Inducing the surface enrichment of active noble metal can not only help to stabilize the catalyst but also modify the catalytic performance of the catalyst through electronic and geometric effects. Herein, we report the in situ surface enrichment of Ir on IrRu alloy during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The surface enrichment of Ir was probed by ex situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and electrochemical Cu stripping, leading to complementary characterizations of the dynamic reconstruction of the IrRu alloy during OER. Guided by the density functional theory (DFT), an IrRu alloy with low Ir content (20 wt%) was constructed, which displayed a low overpotential of only 230 mV to deliver an OER current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 M HClO4 solution and maintained stable performance for over 20 h. To investigate the practical application potential, a proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer using the IrRu alloy as the anode catalyst was assembled, which required a low cell voltage of only 1.48 V to generate a current density of 1 A cm-2.

Bonding Nature of "Ionic Carbenes" in [M3(µ3-CH2)]-Containing Compounds: The Covalent Interaction.

While a series of trinuclear rare-earth metal methylene (divalent >CH2) complexes with the so-called "ionic carbene" have been known for decades, the nature of metal-carbene interactions in this class of compounds remains elusive. Herein, a quantum chemical investigation has been performed to reveal the bonding nature in typical trimetallic "ionic carbene" species with the [M3(µ3-CH2)] (M = Sc, Y, La, and Ac) cluster core. Through various chemical bonding analyses, we have demonstrated that there exists a non-negligible covalent interaction between µ3-CH2 and M3 moieties, and the chemical bonding can be accounted for with two three-center two-electron (3c-2e) bonds. The chemical bonding analyses reveal that the metal d-electron configuration plays an important role in stabilizing various µ3-coordinated carbene complexes. The late transition metals do not favor such a µ3-coordination geometry, thus explaining why ionic carbene complexes are usually found for rare-earth and early transition metals. A series of ionic carbene complexes with early transition metals, lanthanides, and actinides are predicted to be stable as well. These reactive ionic carbene complexes may have characteristic properties for organic synthesis and catalysis.

Ancillary ligand-regulated Ti(IV)-based metallocalixarene coordination cages for photocatalytic H2 evolution.

High-valence Ti(IV)-based metallocalixarene coordination cages that are linked by oriented ancillary ligands are unknown so far. Herein, the first family of tunable calixarene-based coordination cages of Ti(IV) with a framework formula [Ti12(OiPr)12(TBC[4])6L6] have been assembled from six {Ti2(OiPr)2(TBC[4])}2+ nodes and six pyridinedicarboxylic ligands. Furthermore, the {Ti12L6} cage showed strong photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, and DFT studies were performed to explore its electronic structure.

Identifying the Real Chemistry of the Synthesis and Reversible Transformation of AuCd Bimetallic Clusters.

The capability of precisely constructing bimetallic clusters with atomic accuracy provides exciting opportunities for establishing their structure-property correlations. However, the chemistry (the charge state of precursors, the property of ligands, the amount of dopant, and so forth) dictating the fabrication of clusters with atomic-level control has been a long-standing challenge. Herein, based on the well-defined Au25(SR)18 cluster (SR = thiolates), we have systematically investigated the factors of steric hindrance and electronic effect of ligands, the charge state of Au25(SR)18, and the amount of dopant that may determine the structure of AuCd clusters. It is revealed that [Au19Cd3(SR)18]- can be obtained when a ligand of smaller steric hindrance is used, while Au24Cd(SR)18 is attained when a larger steric hindrance ligand is used. In addition, negatively charged [Au25(SR)18]- is apt to form [Au19Cd3(SR)18]- during Cd doping, while Au24Cd(SR)18 is produced when neutral Au25(SR)18 is used as a precursor. Intriguingly, the reversible transformation between [Au19Cd3(SR)18]- and Au24Cd(SR)18 is feasible by subtly manipulating ligands with different steric hindrances. Most importantly, by introducing the excess amount of dopant, a novel bimetallic cluster, Au4Cd4(SR)12 is successfully fabricated and its total structure is fully determined. The electronic structures and the chirality of Au4Cd4(SR)12 have been elucidated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Au4Cd4(SR)12 reported herein represents the smallest AuCd bimetallic cluster with chirality.

An ultrastable Ti-based metallocalixarene nanocage cluster with photocatalytic amine oxidation activity.

Polyhedral metallocalixarene nanocage clusters based on pure Ti(IV) ions are to our knowledge unknown hitherto. Herein we report the first Ti(IV)-based metallocalixarene nanocage cluster by assembling a [Ti13O14] cage with six t-butylcalix[4]arene molecules. Notably, the cluster exhibits extraordinary stability in high-concentration acid/alkali solutions and can act as a stable photocatalyst to catalyze the oxidation of ammonia to imines.

Which Type of Pincer Complex Is Thermodynamically More Stable? Understanding the Structures and Relative Bond Strengths of Group 10 Metal Complexes Supported by Benzene-Based PYCYP Pincer Ligands.

The influence of the pincer platform composition and substitution on the reactivity and physical properties of pincer complexes can be easily explored through different experimental techniques. However, the influence of these factors on the molecular structures and thermodynamic stability of pincer complexes is usually very subtle and cannot always be unambiguously established. To rationalize this subtle influence, a survey of crystallographic data from 130 group 10 metal pincer complexes supported by benzene-based PYCYP pincer ligands, [2,6-(R2PY)2C6H3-nR'n]MX (Y = CH2, NH, O, S; M = Ni, Pd, Pt; R = tBu, iPr, Ph, Cy, Me; R' = CO2Me, tBu, CF3, Ac; n = 0-2; X = F, Cl, Br, I, H, SH, SPh, SBn, Ph, Me, N3, NCS), was carried out. Theoretical calculations for some selected complexes were performed to evaluate the relative bond strength. It was found that the M-Cipso bond length decreases following the linker series of CH2 > NH > O and that the relative M-Cipso bond strength increases following the linker series of CH2 < NH < O. In most cases, the M-P bond length decreases following the linker series of NH > CH2 > O. The relative M-P bond strength increases following the linker series of CH2 < NH < O. A comparison of the thermochemical balance for the isodesmic displacement of the side-arm interactions with PH3 as a probe ligand indicated that the Ni-P bond in a PCCCP-type pincer complex is far less difficult to break compared with that in a POCOP-type complex. As a result, with the same donor substituents and the same auxiliary ligand, the POCOP-type pincer complexes are thermodynamically more stable than the PCCCP complexes. The influence of other backbone and donor substitutions as well as the pincer platform composition on the M-Cipso, M-P, and M-X bond lengths, relative bond strengths, and P-M-P bite angles was also discussed.

A general strategy for preparing pyrrolic-N4 type single-atom catalysts via pre-located isolated atoms.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been applied in many fields due to their superior catalytic performance. Because of the unique properties of the single-atom-site, using the single atoms as catalysts to synthesize SACs is promising. In this work, we have successfully achieved Co1 SAC using Pt1 atoms as catalysts. More importantly, this synthesis strategy can be extended to achieve Fe and Ni SACs as well. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results demonstrate that the achieved Fe, Co, and Ni SACs are in a M1-pyrrolic N4 (M= Fe, Co, and Ni) structure. Density functional theory (DFT) studies show that the Co(Cp)2 dissociation is enhanced by Pt1 atoms, thus leading to the formation of Co1 atoms instead of nanoparticles. These SACs are also evaluated under hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and the nature of active sites under HER are unveiled by the operando XAS studies. These new findings extend the application fields of SACs to catalytic fabrication methodology, which is promising for the rational design of advanced SACs.

Co13O8-metalloxocubes: a new class of perovskite-like neutral clusters with cubic aromaticity.

Exploring stable clusters to understand structural evolution from atoms to macroscopic matter and to construct new materials is interesting yet challenging in chemistry. Utilizing our newly developed deep-ultraviolet laser ionization mass spectrometry technique, here we observe the reactions of neutral cobalt clusters with oxygen and find a very stable cluster species of Co13O8 that dominates the mass distribution in the presence of a large flow rate of oxygen gas. The results of global-minimum structural search reveal a unique cubic structure and distinctive stability of the neutral Co13O8 cluster that forms a new class of metal oxides that we named as 'metalloxocubes'. Thermodynamics and kinetics calculations illustrate the structural evolution from icosahedral Co13 to the metalloxocube Co13O8 with decreased energy, enhanced stability and aromaticity. This class of neutral oxygen-passivated metal clusters may be an ideal candidate for genetic materials because of the cubic nature of the building blocks and the stability due to cubic aromaticity.

Efficient synthesis of primary and secondary amides via reacting esters with alkali metal amidoboranes.

Amides are one of the most important organic compounds that are widely applied in medicine, biochemistry, and materials science. To find an efficient synthetic method of amides is a challenge for organic chemistry. We report here a facile synthesis method of primary and secondary amides through a direct amidation of esters with sodium amidoboranes (NaNHRBH3, R = H, Me), at room temperature without using catalysts and other reagents. This process is rapid and chemoselective, and features quantitative conversion and wide applicability for esters tolerating different functional groups. The experimental and theoretical studies reveal a reaction mechanism with nucleophilic addition followed by a swift proton transfer-induced elimination reaction.

Rod-Shaped Silver Supercluster Unveiling Strong Electron Coupling between Substituent Icosahedral Units.

The first linear silver supercluster based on icosahedral Ag13 units has been constructed via bridging of dpa ligands: Ag61(dpa)27(SbF6)4 (Hdpa = dipyridylamine) (Ag61). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that this rod-shaped cluster consists of four vertex-sharing Ag13 icosahedra in a linear arrangement. This Ag61 cluster represents the longest one-dimensional metal nanocluster with a resolved structure. Unprecedented electron coupling develops between their constituent Ag13 units. Theoretical studies disclose that the stabilities of the two superclusters are dictated by a strong interaction between the Ag13 units as well as the ligand effect of the dpa-Ag motifs. The quantum size effect accounts for the significant enhancement of the metal-related absorptions and the red shift at the near-infrared region as the length of the cluster increases. This work sheds light on the evolution of one-dimensional materials and an understanding of the electronic communication between the constituent clusters.

Electronic Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of Group-7 Tri-Oxo-Halides MO3X (M = Mn-Bh, X = F-Ts).

The 24 trioxide halide molecules MO3X of the manganese group (M = Mn-Bh; X = F-Ts), which are iso-valence-electronic with the famous MnO4- ion, have been quantum-chemically investigated by quasi-relativistic density-functional and ab initio correlated approaches. Geometric and electronic structures, valence and oxidation numbers, vibrational and electronic spectral properties, energetic stabilities of the monomers in the gas phase, and the decay mode of MnO3F have been investigated. The light Mn-3d species are most strongly electron-correlated, indicating that the concept of a closed-shell Lewis-type single-configurational structure [Mn+7(d0) O-2(p6)3 F-(p6)] reaches its limits. The concept of real-valued spin orbitals φ(r)·α and φ(r)·ß breaks down for the heavy Bh-6d, At-6p and Ts-7p elements because of the dominating spin-orbit coupling. The vigorous decomposition of MnO3F at ambient conditions starts by the autocatalyzed release of n O2 and the formation of MnmO3m-2nFm clusters, triggered by the electron-depleted "oxylic" character of the oxide ligands in MnO3X.

Double σ-Aromaticity in a Planar Zinc-Doped Gold Cluster: Au9Zn.

The strong relativistic effects result in many interesting chemical and physical properties for gold and gold compounds. One of the most surprising findings has been that small gold clusters prefer planar structures. Dopants can be used to tune the electronic and structural properties of gold nanoclusters. Here we report an experimental and theoretical investigation of a Zn-doped gold cluster, Au9Zn-. Photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that Au9Zn- is a highly stable electronic system with an electron binding energy of 4.27 eV. Quantum chemical studies show that the global minimum of Au9Zn- has a D3h structure with a closed-shell electron configuration (1A1'), which can be viewed as replacing the central Au atom by Zn in the open-shell parent Au10- cluster. The high electronic stability of Au9Zn- is corroborated by its extremely large HOMO-LUMO gap of 3.3 eV. Chemical bonding analyses revealed that the D3h Au9Zn- are bonded by two sets of delocalized σ bonds, giving rise to double σ aromaticity and its remarkable stability. Two planar low-lying isomers are also observed, corresponding to a similar triangular structure with the Zn atom on the edge and another one with one of the corner Au atoms moved to the edge of the triangle.

Norm-Conserving Pseudopotentials and Basis Sets to Explore Actinide Chemistry in Complex Environments.

We have developed a new set of norm-conserving pseudopotentials and companion Gaussian basis sets for the actinide (An) series (Ac-Lr) using the Goedecker, Teter, and Hutter (GTH) formalism with the Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange-correlation functional of generalized gradient approximation. To test the accuracy and reliability of the newly parameterized An-GTH pseudopotentials and basis sets, a variety of benchmarks on actinide-containing molecules were carried out and compared to all-electron and available experimental results. The new pseudopotentials include both medium- ([Xe]4f14) and large-core ([Xe]4f145d10) options that successfully reproduce the structures and energetics, particularly redox processes. The medium-core size set, in particular, reproduces all-electron calculations over multiple oxidation states from 0 to VII, whereas the large-core set is suitable only for the early series elements and low oxidation states. The underlying reason for these transferability issues is discussed in detail. This work fills a critical void in the literature for studying the chemistry of 5f-block elements in the condensed phase.