Engineered Ag135Cu60 nanoclusters with buckminsterfullerene topology: Structure and optical dynamics

Buckminsterfullerene has inspired new research directions and potential applications in materials science, due to its spherical shape and unique physical and chemical properties. However, synthesizing all-metallic fullerene-like nanostructures remains challenging, given the complexities of the synthesis process and the discrepancies between experimental and theoretical predictions. Recently, Professor Wang Shuxin’s team from Qingdao University of Science and Technology and Professor Wu Zhennan’s team from Jilin University disclosed in Nature Synthesis the synthesis, structure, and optical properties of Ag135Cu60(S(CH2)2Ph)60Cl42 (abbreviated as Ag135Cu60), the first metal nanocluster to incorporate a buckminsterfullerene-like topology moiety. This bimetallic nanocluster exhibits unique optical absorption and hybrid molecular-metallic characteristics, providing a new platform for investigating topological structure and atomic-scale assembly of metal nanoclusters.