Excited-state dynamics of AuCu14 bimetallic nanoclusters

AuCu bimetallic nanoclusters exhibit enhanced emission relative to structurally analogous Au nanoclusters, though their excited-state dynamics remains incompletely characterized. Here, we chose Au-Cu14 as a system to probe the excited-state behaviors and triplet energy transfer dynamics of bimetallic nanoclusters. The O2 sensitivity of both photoluminescence quantum yield and excited-state lifetime confirms triplet-origin emission, while the minimal spectral changes at low temperature suggest weak electron-vibration coupling. Notably, although O2 induces significant photoluminescence quenching, the addition of triplet-state acceptors (perylene and anthracene) shows no quenching effect due to steric hindrance from surface ligands. These results advance the mechanistic understanding of triplet-state dynamics in AuCu bimetallic nanoclusters.