Copper nanostructures represent an important class of
materials
in CO2 electrocatalytic reduction (CO2ER) reactions,
but deciphering their molecular structures, especially those with
multiple and irregular organic–inorganic interfaces, remains
a grand challenge. Through comprehensive characterization of a 26-nuclei
copper nanocluster of [Cu26(DPPE)3(CF3CO2)8(CH3O)2(tBuCC)4H11]+ (DPPE is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane),
which is stabilized by quintuple ligand shells of phosphine, carboxylic
acid, alcohol, alkynyl, and hydride, we demonstrate in this work the
efficiency of hybrid ligands in controlling geometrical arrangements,
electronic structures, and catalytic performance of copper nanoclusters.
The diverse ligands in the cluster endow it with a peculiar geometric
structure and distinct electronic structure and, more importantly,
a delicate surface structure. As a result, the cluster displays high
performance in CO2ER to CO reaction.