Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Precise mono-doping of metal atom into metal particles at a specific particle position (e. g. , the central site) in a highly controllable manner is still a challenge. In this work, we develop a highly controllable strategy for exchanging a single Ag atom into the central gold site of Au 13 Ag 12 (PPh 3) 10 Cl 8 (Ph = phenyl) nanoclusters. Interestingly, a “pigeon-pair” cluster of Au 13 Ag 12 (PPh 3) 10 Cl 8 ·Au 12 Ag 13 (PPh 3) 10 Cl 8 2+ is obtained and confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis. The experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the single-metal-atom exchanging from Au 13 Ag 12 (PPh 3) 10 Cl 8 + to Au 12 Ag 13 (PPh 3) 10 Cl 8 + occurs at the central position through the side entry of the μ 3 -bridging Cl atoms. Finally, the effects on the electronic structure and properties caused by the single-atom exchange at the central site are shown by the enhancement of fluorescence and catalytic activity in the photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol.
Qin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.