Structure–performance relationship of Au nanoclusters in electrocatalysis:Metal core and ligand structure

Remarkable progress has characterized the field of electrocatalysis in recent decades,driven in part by an enhanced comprehension of catalyst structures and mechanisms at the nanoscale.Atomically precise metal nanoclusters,serving as exemplary models,significantly expand the range of accessible structures through diverse cores and ligands,creating an exceptional platform for the investigation of catalytic reactions.Notably,ligand‐protected Au nanoclusters(NCs)with precisely defined core numbers offer a distinct advantage in elucidating the correlation between their specific structures and the reaction mechanisms in electrocatalysis.The strategic modulation of the fine microstructures of Au NCs presents crucial opportunities for tailoring their electrocatalytic performance across various reactions.This review delves into the profound structural effects of Au NC cores and ligands in electrocatalysis,elucidating their underlying mechanisms.A detailed exploration of the fundamentals of Au NCs,considering core and ligand structures,follows.Subsequently,the interaction between the core and ligand structures of Au NCs and their impact on electrocatalytic performance in diverse reactions are examined.Concluding the discourse,challenges and personal prospects are presented to guide the rational design of efficient electrocatalysts and advance electrocatalytic reactions.

A Single-chain Antibody for One-pot Fabrication of Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters and Rabies Virus Imaging in Cells

The fragile antibody leads to a great challenge as a scaffold to fabricate the luminescent metal nanoclusters using one-pot method.This study presents a stable single-chain anti-body(scFv57R-ATS)for the fabrication of luminescent gold nanoclusters(AuNCs@scFv57R-ATS)and a quick,sensitive rabies virus detection in living cells.In this paper,AuNCs@scFv57R-ATS was designed to specifically recognize antigen RV in modified HeLa cells,which promoted the demonstration of metal nanocluster fluorescent probes for antigen targeting and therapy.

Pt nanoclusters modified porous g-C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets to significantly enhance hydrogen production by photocatalytic water reforming of methanol

For the use of green hydrogen energy,it is crucial to have efficient photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation by water reforming of methanol under mild conditions.Much attention has been paid to gC_(3)N_(4)as a promising photocatalyst for the generation of hydrogen.To improve the separation of photogenerated charge,porous nanosheet g-C_(3)N_(4)was modified with Pt nanoclusters(Pt/g-C_(3)N_(4))through impregnation and following photo-induced reduction.This catalyst showed excellent photocatalytic activity of water reforming of methanol fo r hydrogen production with a 17.12 mmol·g^(-1)·h^(-1)rate at room temperature,which was 311 times higher than that of the unmodified g-C_(3)N_(4).The strong interactions of Pt-N in Pt/g-C_(3)N_(4)constructed effective electron transfer channels to promote the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes effectively.In addition,in-situ infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the intermediates of the hydrogen production reaction,which proved that methanol and water eventually turn into H_(2)and CO_(2)via formaldehyde and formate.This study provides insights for understanding the photocatalytic hydrogen production in the water reforming of methanol.

Marrying luminescent metal nanoclusters to C_(3)N_(4) for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

Photocatalytic oxygen(O_(2))reduction has been considered a promising method for hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))production.However,the poor visible light harvesting and low-efficient separation and generation of charge carriers of conventional photocatalysts strongly limited their photocatalytic H_(2)O_(2) generation performance.Herein,we design a highly efficient photocatalyst in this work by marrying luminescent gold-silver nanoclusters(AuAg NCs)to polyethyleneimine(PEI)modified C_(3)N_(4)(C3N4-PEI).The key design in this work is the utilization of highly luminescent AuAg NCs as photosensitizers to promote the generation and separation of charge carriers of C_(3)N_(4)-PEI,thereby ultimately producing abundant e−for O_(2) reduction under visible light illumination(λ≥400 nm).As a result,the as-designed photocatalyst(C3N4-PEI-AuAg NCs)exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity with an H_(2)O_(2) production capability of 82μM in pure water,which is 3.5 times higher than pristine C_(3)N_(4)(23μM).This interesting design provides a paradigm in developing other high-efficient photocatalysts for visible-light-driven H_(2)O_(2) production.

Molybdenum Oxynitride Atomic Nanoclusters Bonded in Nanosheets of N-Doped Carbon Hierarchical Microspheres for Efficient Sodium Storage

Transition metal nitrides have attracted considerable attention as great potential anode materials due to their excellent metallic conductivity and high theoretical specific capacity.However,their cycling performance is impeded by their instability caused by the reaction mechanism.Herein,we report the engineering and synthesis of a novel hybrid architecture composed of MoO2.0N0.5 atomic nanoclusters bonded in nanosheets of N-doped carbon hierarchical hollow microspheres(MoO2.0N0.5/NC)as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries.The facile self-templating strategy for the synthesis of MoO2.0N0.5/NC involves chemical polymerization and subsequent one-step calcination treatments.The design is benefi-cial to improve the electrochemical kinetics,buffer the volume variation of electrodes during cycling,and provide more interfacial active sites for sodium uptake.Due to these unique structural and compositional merits,these MoO2.0N0.5/NC exhibits excellent sodium storage performance in terms of superior rate capability and stable long cycle life.The work shows a feasible and effective way to design novel host candidates and solve the long-term cycling stability issues for sodium-ion batteries.

Fabrication of Ni Nanoclusters-Modied Brookite TiO2 Quasi Nanocubes and Its Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance

The development of low-cost, earth-abundant and highly-efficient cocatalysts is still important to promote the photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction over semiconductors. Herein, a series of Ni nanoclusters（NCs） modified brookite TiO2 quasi nanocubes（BTN）（marked as Ni/BTN） are fabricated via a chemical reduction process. It is found that the loading content and oxidation state of Ni NCs can significantly influence the optical absorption, photocatalytic activity, and stability of Ni/BTN composites. Among the resultant Ni NCs-loaded products, 0.1%Ni/BTN composite delivers the best H2 evolution activity（156 μmol/h）,which is 4.3 times higher than that of the BTN alone（36 μmol/h）. Furthermore, the Ni NCs with ultrafine size（2 nm） and high dispersity enable shorter charge transfer distance by quickly capturing the photoexcited electrons of BTN, and thus result in the improved activity even though the oxidization of some Ni NCs on BTN is harmful to the activity for H2 evolution due to the much lower electron capturing capability of NiO than metallic Ni.This study not only clarifies that brookite TiO2 would be a promising high-efficient photocatalyst for H2 evolution, but also reveals vital clues for further improving its photocatalytic performance using low-cost Ni-based cocatalyst.

Ag7(MBISA)6 Nanoclusters Conjugated with Quinacrine for FRET-Enhanced Photodynamic Activity under Visible Light Irradiation

Singlet oxygen(1 O2) plays an important role in various applications, such as in the photodynamic therapy(PDT) of cancers,photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms, photo-degradation of toxic compounds, and photo-oxidation in synthetic chemistry. Recently,water-soluble metal nanoclusters(NCs) have been utilized as photosensitizers for the generation of highly reactive 1 O2 because of their high water solubility, low toxicity, and surface functionalizability for targeted substances. In the case of metal NC-based photosensitizers, the photo-physical properties depend on the core size of the NCs and the core/ligand interfacial structures. A wide range of atomically precise gold NCs have been reported; however, reports on the synthesis of atomically precise silver NCs are limited due to the high reactivity and low photostability(i.e., easy oxidation) of Ag NCs. In addition, there have been few reports on what kinds of metal NCs can generate large amounts of 1 O2. In this study, we developed a new one-pot synthesis method of water-soluble Ag7(MBISA)6(MBISA= 2-mercapto-5-benzimidazolesulfonic acid sodium salt) NCs with highly efficient 1 O2 generation ability under the irradiation of white light emitting diodes(LEDs). The molecular formula and purity were determined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and gel electrophoresis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on atomically precise thiolate silver clusters(Agn(SR)m) for efficient 1 O2 generation under visible light irradiation. The 1 O2 generation efficiency of Ag7(MBISA)6 NCs was higher than those of the following known water-soluble metal NCs: bovine serum albumin(BSA)-Au25 NCs,BSA-Ag8 NCs, BSA-Ag14 NCs,Ag25(dihydrolipoic acid)14 NCs,Ag35(glutathione)18 NCs,and Ag75(glutathione)40 NCs. The metal NCs examined in this study showed the following order of 1 O2 generation efficiency under white light irradiation: Ag7(MBISA)6 > BSA-Ag14 > Ag75(SG)40 > Ag35(SG)18 >BSA-Au25 >>BSA-Ags(not detected) and Ag2 s(DHLA)14(not detected). For further improving the 1 O2 generation of Ag7(MBISA)6 NCs, we developed a novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET) system by conjugating Ag7(MBISA)6 NCs with quinacrine(QC)(molar ratio of Ag NCs to QC is 1 : 0.5). We observed the FRET process,from QC to Ag7(MBISA)6 NCs,occurring in the conjugate. That is,the QC works as a donor chromophore,while the Ag NCs work as an acceptor chromophore in the FRET process. The FRET-mediated process caused a 2.3-fold increase in 1 O2 generation compared to that obtained with Ag7(MBISA)6 NCs alone. This study establishes a general and simple strategy for improving the PDT activity of metal NC-based photosensitizers.

Controllably partial removal of thiolate ligands from unsupported Au_(25) nanoclusters by rapid thermal treatments for electrochemical CO_(2)reduction

Colloidal synthesis of metal nanoclusters will inevitably lead to the blockage of catalytically active sites by organic ligands.Here,taking[Au_(25)(PET)_(18)]-(PET=2-phenylethanethiol)nanocluster as a model catalyst,this work reports a feasible procedure to achieve the controllably partial removal of thiolate ligands from unsupported[Au_(25)(PET)_(18)]-nanoclusters with the preservation of the core structure.This procedure shortens the processing duration by rapid heating and cooling on the basis of traditional annealing treatment,avoiding the reconfiguration or agglomeration of Au_(25)nanoclusters,where the degree of dethiolation can be regulated by the control of duration.This work finds that a moderate degree of dethiolation can expose the Au active sites while maintaining the suppression of the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.Consequently,the activity and selectivity towards CO formation in electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction of Au_(25)nanoclusters can be promoted.This work provides a new approach for the removal of thiolate ligands from atomically precise gold nanoclusters.

Odd-membered cyclic hetero-polyoxotitanate nanoclusters with high stability and photocatalytic H_(2) evolution activity

We investigated the hydrolysis of TiⅣ along with naturally abundant AlⅢ ions and reported the formation of a stable and semiconducting nanocluster. Interestingly, this compound exhibits an unusual odd-membered ring structure and also represents the largest Al-containing polyoxotitanium cluster(PTC) observed thus far. The presence of a shell of organic ligands as well as the incorporation of hetero-AlⅢ ions endowed the nanocluster with high air, thermal, and pH stabilities. The present compound exhibited a record photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of 402.88 μmol g–1 h–1 among PTC materials. This work not only paves the way towards stable PTC materials but also provides new insights into the design of novel photocatalysts.

Benzalaniline from nitrobenzene and benzaldehyde catalyzed efficiently by an atomically precise palladium nanocluster

Nanoclusters with a precise number of atoms may exhibit unique and often unexpected catalytic properties.Here,we report an atomically precise Pd3 nanocluster as an efficient catalyst,whose catalytic performance differs remarkably from typical Pd nanoparticle catalysts,with excellent reactivity and selectivity in the one-pot synthesis of benzalaniline from nitrobenzene and benzaldehyde.We anticipate that our work will serve as a starting point for the catalytic applications of these tiny atomically precise nanoclusters in green chemistry for the one-pot syntheses of fine chemicals.

Angle-sensitive and fast photovoltage of silver nanocluster embeded ZnO thin films induced by 1.064-μm pulsed laser

Silver nanocluster embedded ZnO composite thin film was observed to have an angle-sensitive and fast photovoltaic effect in the angle range from -90° to 90° , its peak value and the polarity varied regularly with the angle of incidence of the 1.064-μm pulsed Nd：YAG laser radiation onto the ZnO surface. Meanwhile, for each photovoltaic signal, its rising time reached -2 ns with an open-circuit photovoltage of -2 ns full width at half-maximum. This angle-sensitive fast photovoltaic effect is expected to put this composite film a candidate for angle-sensitive and fast photodetector.

Kinetically controlled synthesis of atomically precise Ag nanoclusters for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Synthesizing atomically precise Ag nanoclusters(NCs),which is essential for the general development of NCs,is quite challenging.In this study,we report the synthesis of high-purity atomically precise Ag NCs via a kinetically controlled strategy.The Ag NCs were prepared using a mild reducing agent via a one-pot method.The as-prepared Ag NCs were confirmed to be Ag_(49)(D-pen)_(24)(D-pen:D-penicillamine)on the basis of their matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric and thermogravimetric characteristics.The interfacial structures of the Ag NCs were illustrated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.The Ag NCs were supported on activated carbon(AC)to form Ag NCs/AC,which displayed excellent activity for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol with a kinetic reaction rate constant k of 0.21 min^(-1).Such a high k value indicates that the composite could outperform several previously reported catalysts.Moreover,the catalytic activity of Ag NCs/AC remained nearly constant after six times of recycle,which suggests its excellent stability.

Re nanoclusters anchored on nanosheet supports: Formation of Re-O-matrix bonding and evaluation as all-pH-range hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts

Although the water splitting-based generation of hydrogen as an energy carrier can help to mitigate the global problems of energy shortage and climate change,the practical implementation of this strategy is hindered by the absence of inexpensive high-performance electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).Re-based HER electrocatalysts exhibit predictable high performance within the entire pH range but suffer from arduous formation (i.e.,vulnerability to oxidation) and uncontrollable aggregation,which strongly discourages the maximisation of active site exposure required for activity enhancement.To overcome these limitations,we herein hydrothermally synthesise Re nanoclusters uniformly distributed on nanosheet supports,such as reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (Re NCs@rGO),revealing that this hybrid features abundant exposed active sites and high oxidation resistance.The obtained electrocatalysts were elaborately characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic analyses.Also,density functional theory calculations confirm the optimised synthesis of Re NCs@rGO and indicate the crucial role of Re–O–C junction formation in securing durability.The effective suppression of Re nanocluster detachment/dissolution under HER conditions endows Re NCs@rGO with high electron conductivity and electrochemical stability,resulting in a durability superior to that of commercial Pt/C and an activity similar to that of this reference.As a result,Re NCs@rGO exhibited remarkably small HER overpotentials of 110,130,and 93 m V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2) in 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4),1 M PBS,and 1 M KOH,respectively.Thus,Re NCs@rGO is a promising alternative to conventional Pt-group-metal catalysts and should find applications in next-generation high-performance water splitting systems.

Ultrasmall AuPd nanoclusters on amine-functionalized carbon blacks as high-performance bi-functional catalysts for ethanol electrooxidation and formic acid dehydrogenation

The synthesis of ultrasmall metal nanoclusters(NCs) with high catalytic activities is of great importance for the development of clean and renewable energy technologies but remains a challenge. Here we report a facile wet-chemical method to prepare ~1.0 nm Au Pd NCs supported on amine-functionalized carbon blacks. The Au Pd NCs exhibit a specific activity of 5.98 mA cm_(AuPd)^(-2)and mass activity of 5.25 A mg_(auPd)^(-1) for ethanol electrooxidation, which are far better than those of commercial Pd/C catalysts(1.74 mAcm_(AuPd)^(-2) and 0.54 A mg_(Pd)^(-1) ). For formic acid dehydrogenation, the Au Pd NCs have an initial turn over frequency of 49339 h^(-1) at 298 K without any additive, which is much higher than those obtained for most of reported Au Pd catalysts. The reported synthesis may represent a facile and low-cost approach to prepare other ultrasmall metal NCs with high catalytic activities for various applications.

A Facile Synthesis of ZnCo2O4 Nanocluster Particles and the Performance as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

ZnCo_2O_4 nanocluster particles(NCPs) were prepared through a designed hydrothermal method, with the assistance of a surfactant, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate. The crystalline structure and surface morphology of ZnCo_2O_4 were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and BET analyses. The results of SEM and TEM suggest a clear nanocluster particle structure of cubic ZnCo_2O_4(*100 nm in diameter), which consists of aggregated primary nanoparticles(*10 nm in diameter), is achieved. The electrochemical behavior of synthesized ZnCo_2O_4 NCPs was investigated by galvanostatic discharge/charge measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The ZnCo_2O_4 NCPs exhibit a high reversible capacity of 700 mAh g^(-1) over 100 cycles under a current density of 100 mA g^(-1) with an excellent coulombic efficiency of 98.9% and a considerable cycling stability. This work demonstrates a facile technique designed to synthesize ZnCo_2O_4 NCPs which show great potential as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Simple synthesis of silver nanocluster composites AgNCs@PE-g-PAA by irradiation method and fluorescence detection of Cr^(3+)

Silver nanoclusters(AgNCs)are a new type of nanomaterials with similar properties to molecules and unique applications.The applications of AgNCs can be significantly expanded by combining them with different matrix materials to obtain AgNC composites.Using irradiation techniques,we developed a simple two-step method for preparing silver nanocluster composites.First,polyacrylic acid(PAA)chains were grafted onto the surface of a PE film as templates(PE-g-PAA).Subsequently,silver ions were reduced in situ on the surface of the template material to obtain the AgNC composites(AgNCs@PE-g-PAA).The degree of AgNC loading on the composite film was easily controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions.The loaded AgNCs were anchored to the carboxyl groups of the PAA and wrapped in the graft chain.The particle size of the AgNCs was only 4.38±0.85 nm,with a very uniform particle size distribution.The AgNCs@PE-g-PAA exhibited fluorescence characteristics derived from the AgNCs.The fluorescence of the AgNCs@PE-g-PAA was easily quenched by Cr^(3+)ions.The composite can be used as a fluorescence test paper to realize visual detection of Cr^(3+).

Activation of Transition Metal(Fe,Co and Ni)-Oxide Nanoclusters by Nitrogen Defects in Carbon Nanotube for Selective CO_(2) Reduction Reaction

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),which can produce value-added chemical feedstocks,is a proton-coupled-electron process with sluggish kinetics.Thus,highly efficient,cheap catalysts are urgently required.Transition metal oxides such as CoO_(x),FeO_(x),and NiO_(x)are low-cost,low toxicity,and abundant materials for a wide range of electrochemical reactions,but are almost inert for CO_(2)RR.Here,we report for the first time that nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes(N-CNT)have a surprising activation effect on the activity and selectivity of transition metal-oxide(MO_(x)where M=Fe,Ni,and Co)nanoclusters for CO_(2)RR.MO_(x)supported on N-CNT,MO_(x)/N-CNT,achieves a CO yield of 2.6–2.8 mmol cm−2 min−1 at an overpotential of−0.55 V,which is two orders of magnitude higher than MO_(x)supported on acid treated CNTs(MO_(x)/O-CNT)and four times higher than pristine N-CNT.The faraday efficiency for electrochemical CO_(2)-to-CO conversion is as high as 90.3%at overpotential of 0.44 V.Both in-situ XAS measurements and DFT calculations disclose that MO_(x)nanoclusters can be hydrated in CO_(2)saturated KHCO_(3),and the N defects of N-CNT effectively stabilize these metal hydroxyl species under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions,which can split the water molecules and provide local protons to inhibit the poisoning of active sites under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions.

Cytochrome-c aptamer functionalized Pt nanoclusters for enhanced chemodynamic therapy

Catalysis-based chemodynamic therapy(CDT)is an emerging cancer treatment strategy which uses a Fenton-like reaction to kill tumor cells by catalyzing endogenous hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))into a toxic hydroxyl radical(·OH).The performance of CDT is greatly dependent on PDT agent.Herein,mitochondria-targeting Pt nanoclusters were synthesized using cytochrome c aptamer(CytcApt)as template.The obtained CytcApt-PtNCs can produce.OH by H_(2)O_(2)under the acidic conditions.Moreover,CytcApt-PtNCs could kill 4T1 tumor cells in a pH-dependent manner,but had no side effect on normal 293T cells.Therefore,CytcApt-PtNCs possess excellent therapeutic effect and good biosafety,indicating their great potential for CDT.

MoC nanoclusters anchored Ni@N‐doped carbon nanotubes coated on carbon fiber as three‐dimensional and multifunctional electrodes for flexible supercapacitor and self‐heating device

With the rapid development of different kinds of wearable electronic devices,flexible and high‐capacity power sources have attracted increasing attention.In this study,a facile strategy to fabricate Ni nanoparticles embedded in N‐doped carbon nanotubes(CNTs)(Ni@NCNTs)homogeneously coated on the surface of carbon fiber with a multistructural component of molybdenum carbide(MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC)was synthesized.There are two forms of MoC in MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC,including the MoC nanoclusters in a size of 2 to 4 nm anchored on Ni@N‐doped CNTs and the MoC nanoparticles as an interface between MoC/Ni@NCNTs and carbon cloth(CC).Multifunctional MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC served as both positive and negative electrode and a heater in flexible supercapacitors and in wearable devices,which exhibited excellent electrochemical and heating performance.Besides,an all‐solid‐state supercapacitor consists of two pieces of MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC that exhibited extraordinary energy storage performance with high‐energy density(78.7μWh/cm2 at the power density of 2.4 mW/cm2)and excellent cycling stability(≈91%capacity retention after 8000 cycles).Furthermore,all‐solid‐state flexible supercapacitors were incorporated with an MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC electrode into self‐heating flexible devices for keeping the human body warm.Thus,MoC/Ni@NCNTs/CC is a promising electrode material for flexible and wearable storage systems and heating electronic application.

Tuning the Electrochemical Property of the Ultrafine Metal-oxide Nanoclusters by Iron Phthalocyanine as Efficient Catalysts for Energy Storage and Conversion

Nanoclusters(NCs)have been demonstrated of outstanding performance in electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies due to their strong quantum confinement effects and strong interaction with supports.Here,we developed a class of ultrafine metal-oxide(MOx,M=Fe,Co and Ni)NCs incorporated with iron phthalocyanine(FePc),MOx/FePc-G,supported on graphene as high-performance catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),oxygen evolution reaction(OER),and carbon dioxide reduction(CO2RR).The high activities for ORR and OER are attributed to the electron donation and accepting ability of the highly redox active of FePc-G that could tune the properties of MOx.The FeOx/FePc-G exhibits an extremely positive half-wave potential(E1/2)of 0.888 and 0.610 V for ORR in alkaline and neutral conditions,respectively,which is around 60 mV more positive than that of Pt/C.And NiOx/FePc-G shows similar OER activity with the state-of-the-art catalysts,Ir/C,and better performance than NiFeO NCs supported on graphene.Remarkably,the CoOx/FePc-G and NiOx/FePc-G show high activity and selectivity to reduce CO2 into CO with a low onset potential of-0.22 V(overpotential is 0.11 V).