Multi-ligand-directed synthesis of chiral silver nanoclusters

Abstract

= tert-butyl mercaptan). The compositions of these two silver nanoclusters are determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Remarkably, the asymmetric distribution of the three types of ligands (thiolate, phosphine, and halogen) on the cluster surface is responsible for the chirality of the clusters. It is worth noting that these findings demonstrate the key principles of ligand-shell anchoring for the tri-ligand protected silver clusters. Our work will offer further insights into the synthesis of chiral metal clusters by tailoring the surface ligands.