Structurally Precise Silver Sulfide Nanoclusters Protected by Rhodium(III) Octahedra with Aminothiolates

Abstract

A60-nuclear silver sulfide nanocluster with ahighly positive charge (1)h as been synthesized by mixing an octahedral Rh III complex with 2-aminoethanethiolate ligands, silver(I) nitrate,a nd d-penicillamine in water under mild conditions.The spherical surface of 1 is protected by the chiral octahedral Rh III complex, with cleavage of the C À Sbond of the d-penicillamine supplying the sulfide ions.Although 1 does not contain d-penicillamine,i ti so ptically active because of the enantiomeric excess of the Rh III molecules induced by chiral transfer from d-penicillamine. 1 can accommodate/release external Ag + ions and replace inner Ag + ions by Cu + ions.The study demonstrates that at hiolato metal complex and sulfurcontaining amino acid can be used as cluster-surface-protecting and sulfide-supplying regents,r espectively,f or creating chiral, water-soluble,s tructurally precise silver sulfide nanoclusters, the properties of which are tunable through the addition/ removal/exchange of Ag + ions.