Volume 61, Issue 2 e202113266
Research Article

Reactivities of Interstitial Hydrides in a Cu11 Template: En Route to Bimetallic Clusters

Dr. Rhone P. Brocha Silalahi

Dr. Rhone P. Brocha Silalahi

Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Sec 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Hualien, 974301 Taiwan, R.O.C.

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Dr. Qi Wang

Dr. Qi Wang

Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France

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Dr. Jian-Hong Liao

Dr. Jian-Hong Liao

Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Sec 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Hualien, 974301 Taiwan, R.O.C.

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Tzu-Hao Chiu

Tzu-Hao Chiu

Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Sec 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Hualien, 974301 Taiwan, R.O.C.

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Dr. Ying-Yann Wu

Dr. Ying-Yann Wu

Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11528 Taiwan, R.O.C.

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Dr. Xiaoping Wang

Dr. Xiaoping Wang

Neutron Scattering Division, Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831 USA

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Dr. Samia Kahlal

Dr. Samia Kahlal

Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France

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Prof. Dr. Jean-Yves Saillard

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Jean-Yves Saillard

Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France

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Prof. Dr. C. W. Liu

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. C. W. Liu

Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Sec 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Hualien, 974301 Taiwan, R.O.C.

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First published: 09 November 2021
Citations: 35

Graphical Abstract

While the reaction of the [Cu11H2{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)3] template with Cu+ or Ag+ produces Cu12H2 and AgCu14H2 species in which the hydrides behave as Lewis bases, in the reaction with Au+, the hydrides act as reducing agents, leading to a luminescent, two-electron Au@Cu11 superatom, whose metal core has a defect fcc structure.

Abstract

In sharp contrast to surface hydrides, reactivities of interstitial hydrides are difficult to explore. When treated with a metal ion (Cu+, Ag+, and Au+), the stable CuI dihydride template [Cu11H2{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)3] (H2Cu11) generates surprisingly three very different compounds, namely [CuH2Cu11{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)3]+ (1), [AgH2Cu14{S2P(OiPr)2}6((C≡CPh)6]+ (2), and [AuCu11{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)3Cl] (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are both MI species and maintain the same number of hydride ligands as their H2Cu11 precursor. Neutron diffraction revealed the first time a trigonal-pyramidal hydride coordination mode in the AgCu3 environment of 2. 3 has no hydride and exhibits a mixed-valent [AuCu11]10+ metal core, making it a two-electron superatom.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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