Ligand-induced change of the crystal structure and enhanced stability of the Au-11 nanocluster

In this paper, we report a highly stable gold nanocluster co-protected by the selenophenol and 1,5-bis( diphenylphosphino) pentane (L-5 for short) ligands, formulated as [Au-11(L-5)(4)(SePh)(2)](+). The structure of this nanocluster is determined by X-ray crystallography. The L-5-ligands are in the form of Au-PPh2(CH2)(5)Ph2PAu, similar to the staple motif in the Aun(SR) m nanoclusters. The purity of this nanocluster is confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, we have also systematically investigated the stability of the [Au-11(L-5)(4)(SePh)(2)](+) (Au-11-Se for short). The results show that Au-11-Se is significantly more stable than both Au-11(PPh3)(7)Cl-3 (Au-11-7 for short) and [Au-11(PPh3)(8)Cl-2] Cl (Au-11-8 for short), even in the presence of excess thiol (RSH). This work will provide a new opportunity for future wide research on gold nanoclusters.