An icosahedral Au13 nanocluster with three adjacent chlorides on opposite poles catalyses hydroamination of phenylacetylene

Abstract

A novel anionic gold nanocluster [Au₁₃(dppeF)₃Cl₆]^– bearing six chlorides has been synthesized by using a bulky diphosphine, dppeF (1,2-bis[bis(3,5-ditrifluoromethylphenyl)phosphino]ethane), as protecting ligands. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of this nanocluster revealed that an icosahedral Au₁₃ core is protected by a total of six chlorides, evenly distributed at opposite poles, and by three dppeF ligands on an equatorial plane. This nanocluster acted as a homogeneous catalyst for hydroamination between phenylacetylene and aniline facilitated by the rapid exchange of the chlorides with phenylacetylides.