[Cu32(H)20{S2P(OiPr)2}12]: The largest number of hydrides recorded in a molecular nanocluster by neutron diffraction

Rajendra S. Dhayal, Jian Hong Liao, Samia Kahlal, Xiaoping Wang, Yu Chiao Liu, Ming Hsi Chiang, Werner E. Van Zyl, Jean Yves Saillard, C. W. Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

117 Scopus citations

Abstract

An air- and moisture-stable nanoscale polyhydrido copper cluster [Cu32(H)20{S2P(OiPr)2}12] (1H) was synthesized and structurally characterized. The molecular structure of 1H exhibits a hexacapped pseudo-rhombohedral core of 14 Cu atoms sandwiched between two nestlike triangular cupola fragments of (2×9) Cu atoms in an elongated triangular gyrobicupola polyhedron. The discrete Cu32 cluster is stabilized by 12 dithiophosphate ligands and a record number of 20 hydride ligands, which were found by high-resolution neutron diffraction to exhibit tri-, tetra-, and pentacoordinated hydrides in capping and interstitial modes. This result was further supported by a density functional theory investigation on the simplified model [Cu32(H)20(S2PH2)12].

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8369-8374
Number of pages6
JournalChemistry - A European Journal
Volume21
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2015

Keywords

  • cluster compounds
  • copper
  • density functional calculations
  • hydrides
  • neutron diffraction

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