Chinese Puzzle Molecule: A 15 Hydride, 28 Copper Atom Nanoball1. Issue 28 (6th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Edwards, Alison J.; Dhayal, Rajendra S.; Liao, Ping‐Kuei; Liao, Jian‐Hong; Chiang, Ming‐Hsi; Piltz, Ross O.; Kahlal, Samia; Saillard, Jean‐Yves; Liu, C. W.
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 53:Issue 28(2014)
• Page Start: 7214
• Page End: 7218
• Publication Date: 2014-05-06
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201403324
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The syntheses of the first rhombicuboctahedral copper polyhydride complexes [Cu₂₈(H)₁₅(S₂CNR)₁₂]PF₆ (NR=N^{<italic>n</italic>}Pr₂ or aza‐15‐crown‐5) are reported. These complexes were analyzed by single‐crystal X‐ray and one by neutron diffraction. The core of each copper hydride nanoparticle comprises one central interstitial hydride and eight outer‐triangular‐face‐capping hydrides. A further six face‐truncating hydrides form an unprecedented bridge between the inner and outer copper atom arrays. The irregular inner Cu₄ tetrahedron is encapsulated within the Cu₂₄ rhombicuboctahedral cage, which is further enclosed by an array of twelve dithiocarbamate ligands that subtends the truncated octahedron of 24 sulfur atoms, which is concentric with the Cu₂₄ rhombicuboctahedron and Cu₄ tetrahedron about the innermost hydride. For these compounds, an intriguing, albeit limited, H₂ evolution was observed at room temperature, which is accompanied by formation of the known ion [Cu₈(H)(S₂CNR)₆]⁺ upon exposure of solutions to sunlight, under mild thermolytic conditions, and on reaction with weak (or strong) acids.</p> </abstract>