Atomic‐Level Engineering of Au–Ag Nanoclusters Enables Divergent Triplet Emission
Triplet-state-based luminescence holds great promise for next-generation optoelectronic materials, yet its mechanistic modulation through structural control remains a fundamental challenge for nanomaterials. Here, we present a comparative study of two atomically precise nanoclusters, Au<sub>6</sub>Ag<sub>2</sub> and Au<sub>6</sub>Ag<sub>4</sub>, which feature an identical Au<sub>6</sub> core but differ subtly in Ag atom count and ligand coordination. Despite their structural similarity and triplet dominated emission origin, the results herein reveal that Au<sub>6</sub>Ag<sub>2</sub> exhibits phosphorescence, whereas Au<sub>6</sub>Ag<sub>4</sub> demonstrates dual emission involving both phosphorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). The contrasting behaviors arise from fine-tuning the silver contents and organic ligands, which alters photoluminescence nature without modifying the metal core. This work highlights a structure-driven approach to regulating triplet-state photoluminescence in metal nanoclusters and offers a blueprint for designing next-generation triplet-emissive materials.
Authors
- Jie Kong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7532-3950)
- Zhen Lei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2947-108X)
- Meng Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5187-9084)
- Yi Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0007-0394)
- Rui Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8138-6627)
- Quan‐Ming Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3764-6409)
- Wei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4459-1602)
- Wenting Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1461-3740)
- Huiyong Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2961-7330)
- Jia‐Chen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8147-538X)
Institutions
- Hefei National Center for Physical Sciences at Nanoscale (CN)
- Fuzhou University (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202515551
- Citations
- 10
- Primary Topic
- Nanocluster Synthesis and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.18