A double helical 4H assembly pattern with secondary hierarchical complexity in an Ag70 nanocluster crystal

Tao Chen; Sha Yang; Qinzhen Li; Yongbo Song; Guang Li; Jinsong Chai; Manzhou Zhu

doi:10.1039/D1NH00332A

A double helical 4H assembly pattern with secondary hierarchical complexity in an Ag₇₀ nanocluster crystal†

Tao Chen,^a Sha Yang,^b Qinzhen Li,^a Yongbo Song,^c Guang Li,

*^a Jinsong Chai*^c and Manzhou Zhu

*^bc

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a School of Physics and Materials Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Information Materials and Devices, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China
E-mail: liguang1971@ahu.edu.cn

^b Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
E-mail: zmz@ahu.edu.cn

^c Department of Chemistry and Centre for Atomic Engineering of Advanced Materials, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Functionalized Materials, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
E-mail: chaijs@ahu.edu.cn

Abstract

The hierarchical assemblies of well-defined structural nanoclusters can help to better understand those of biologically important molecules such as DNA and proteins. Herein, we disclose the synthesis and characterization of a new silver nanocluster, that is Ag₇₀(SR)₄₂(PPh₃)₅ (Ag₇₀-TPP). Directed by the ligands, Ag₇₀-TPP nanoclusters undergo self-hierarchical assembly into a highly space-efficient complex secondary structure of a double helical 4H (DH4H) close packing pattern. The chirality of Ag₇₀-TPP, and the van der Waals forces interactions between the ligands are believed to drive its DH4H arrangement, and the observed interlocking of the phosphine ligands of adjacent Ag₇₀-TPP nanoclusters also contributed. Overall, this work has yielded important and unprecedented insights into the internal structure and crystallographic arrangement of nanoclusters.

This article is part of the themed collection: Nanoscale Horizons 2022 Lunar New Year Collection

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1NH00332A
Article type: Communication
Submitted: 21 Jun 2021
Accepted: 19 Aug 2021
First published: 20 Aug 2021

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Nanoscale Horiz., 2021,6, 913-917

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A double helical 4H assembly pattern with secondary hierarchical complexity in an Ag₇₀ nanocluster crystal

T. Chen, S. Yang, Q. Li, Y. Song, G. Li, J. Chai and M. Zhu, Nanoscale Horiz., 2021, 6, 913 DOI: 10.1039/D1NH00332A

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