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 using a bulky diphosphine, dppeF (1,2-bis[bis(3,5-ditrifluoromethylphenyl)phosphino]ethane) as a protecting ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that this nanocluster has an icosahedral Au₁₃ core, which is protected by each of three Cl ligands on opposite poles and by three dppeF ligands in an equatorial plane. This nanocluster acted as a homogeneous catalyst for hydroamination between phenylacetylene and aniline, facilitated by the rapid exchange of the Cl⁻ ligands with phenyl acetylides.