CONSPECTUS:The chalcogenolato silver and copper superatoms are currently a topic of cutting edge research besides the extensively studied Au n (SR) m clusters. The crystal structural analysis is an indispensable tool to gain deep insights into the anatomy of these subnanometer clusters. The metal framework and spatial arrangement of the chalcogenolates around the metal core assist in unravelling the structure-property relationship and fundamental mechanistic involved in their fabrication. In this Account, we discuss our contribution towards the development of dichalcogenolato Ag and Cu cluster chemistry covering their fabrications and precise molecular structures. Briefly introducing the significance of the single crystal structures of the atomically precise clusters; the novel dichalcogenolated 2-electron superatomic copper and their alloy systems are presented first. The [Cu 13 {S 2 CNR} 6 {C≡CR'} 4 ] + is so far the first unique copper cluster having Cu 13 centred cuboctahedron, which is a miniature of bulk fcc. The galvanic exchange of the central Cu with Ag/Au results in a similar anatomy of formed bimetallic [Au/Ag@Cu 12 (S 2 CN n Bu 2 ) 6 (C≡CPh) 4 ][CuCl 2 ] species. This is unique in a sense that other contemporary M 13 cores in group 11 superatomic chemistry are compact icosahedra. The central doping of Ag or Au significantly affects the physiochemical properties of the bimetallic Cu rich clusters. It is manifested in the dramatic quantum 1 yield enhancement of the doped species [Au@Cu 12 (S 2 CN n Bu 2 ) 6 (C≡CPh) 4 ] + with a value of 0.59 at 77 K in 2-MeTHF. In the second part, the novel eight-electron dithiophosphate-and diselenophosphate-protected silver systems are presented. A completely different type of architecture was revealed for the first time from the successful structural determination of [Ag 21 {S 2 P(O i Pr) 2 } 12 ] + , [Ag 20 {S 2 P(O i Pr) 2 } 12 ] and [Au@Ag 19 {S 2 P(OPr) 2 } 12 ]. They exhibit a non-hollow M 13 (Ag or AuAg 12 ) icosahedron, capped by 8 and 7 Ag atoms in the former and latter two species, respectively. The overall metal core units are protected by 12 dithiophosphate ligands and the metal-ligand interface structure was found to be quite different from that of Au n (SR) m . Notably, the [Ag 20 {S 2 P(O i Pr)} 12 ] cluster provides the first structural evidence of silver superatom with a chiral metallic core. This chirality arises through the simple removal of one of capping Ag + cation of [Ag 21 {S 2 P(O i Pr) 2 } 12 ] + present on its C 3 axis. Further, the effects of the ligand exchange on the structures of [Ag 20 {Se 2 P(O i Pr) 2 } 12 ], [Ag 21 {Se 2 P(OEt) 2 } 12 ] + and [AuAg 20 {Se 2 P(OEt) 2 } 12 ] + are studied extensively. The structure of the former species is similar to its dithiophosphate counterpart (C 3 symmetry). The latter two (T symmetry) differ in the arrangement of 8 capping Ag atoms, as they form a cube engraving the Ag 13 (AuAg 12 ) icosahedron. The blue shifts in absorption spectra and photoluminescence further indicate the strong influence of ...

The first atomically and structurally precise silver-nanoclusters stabilized by Se-donor ligands, [Ag {Se P(O Pr) } ] (3) and [Ag {Se P(OEt) } ] (4), were isolated by ligand replacement reaction of [Ag {S P(O Pr) } ] (1) and [Ag {S P(O Pr) } ] (2), respectively. Furthermore, doping reactions of 4 with Au(PPh )Cl resulted in the formation of [AuAg {Se P(OEt) } ] (5). Structures of 3, 4, and 5 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The anatomy of cluster 3 with an Ag core having C symmetry is very similar to that of its dithiophosphate analogue 1. Clusters 4 and 5 exhibit an Ag and Au@Ag core of O symmetry composed of eight silver capping atoms in a cubic arrangement and encapsulating an Ag and Au@Ag centered icosahedron, respectively. Both ligand exchange and heteroatom doping result in significant changes in optical and emissive properties for chalcogen-passivated silver nanoparticles, which have been theoretically confirmed as 8-electron superatoms.

The first structurally characterized copper cluster with a Cu centered cuboctahedral arrangement, a model of the bulk copper fcc structure, was observed in [Cu (S CN Bu ) (C≡CR) ](PF ) (R=C(O)OMe, C H F) nanoclusters. Four of the eight triangular faces of the cuboctahedron are capped by acetylide groups in μ fashion, and each of the six square faces is bridged by a dithiolate ligand in μ ,μ fashion, which leads to a truncated tetrahedron of twelve sulfur atoms. DFT calculations are fully consistent with the description of these Cu clusters as two-electron superatoms, that is, a [Cu ] core passivated by ten monoanionic ligands, with an a HOMO containing two 1S jellium electrons.

The structurally precise Cu‐rich hydride nanoclusters [PdCu14H2(dtc/dtp)6(C≡CPh)6] (dtc: di‐butyldithiocarbamate (1); dtp: di‐isopropyl dithiophosphate (2)) were synthesized from the reaction of polyhydrido copper clusters [Cu28H15(S2CNnBu2)12]+ or [Cu20H11{S2P(OiPr)2}9] with phenyl acetylene in the presence of Pd(PPh3)2Cl2. Their structures and compositions were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and the results supported by ESI‐mass spectrometry. Hydride positions in 1 were confirmed by single‐crystal neutron diffraction. Each hydride is connected to one Pd0 and four CuI atoms in slightly distorted trigonalbipyramidal geometry. The anatomies of clusters 1 and 2 are very similar and DFT calculations allow rationalizing the interactions between the encapsulated [PdH2]2− unit and its Cu14 bicapped icosahedral cage. As a result, Pd has the highest coordination number (14) so far recorded.