Bottom‐up Synthesis and Self‐Assembly of Copper Clusters into Permanent Excimer Supramolecular Nanostructures. Issue 24 (14th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santiago‐Gonzalez, Beatriz; Monguzzi, Angelo; Capitani, Chiara; Prato, Mirko; Santambrogio, Carlo; Meinardi, Francesco; Brovelli, Sergio
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 57:Issue 24(2018)
• Page Start: 7051
• Page End: 7055
• Publication Date: 2018-05-14
• Subjects: luminescent clusters -- metal clusters -- permanent excimers -- sub-nanometric building blocks -- supramolecular nanostructures; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201801806
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Metal clusters with appropriate molecular ligands have been shown to be suitable subnanometer building blocks for supramolecular architectures with controlled secondary interactions, providing access to physical regimes not achievable with conventional intermolecular motifs. An example is the excimer photophysics exhibited by individual cluster‐based superstructures produced by top‐down etching of gold nanoparticles. Now, a supramolecular architecture of copper clusters is presented with controlled optical properties and efficient non‐resonant luminescence produced via a novel bottom‐up synthesis using mild green reductants followed by a ligand exchange reaction and spontaneous supramolecular assembly. Spectroscopic experiments confirm the formation of the intercluster network and reveal the permanent nature of their excimer‐like behavior, thus extending the potential impact and applicability of metal cluster superstructures as efficient and stable non‐resonant single‐particle emitters. Abstract : Supramolecular architectures based on metal clusters were obtained through a bottom‐up synthetic strategy. These superstructures exhibit excimer photophysics at the single particle level thanks to the unique ability of metal clusters to self‐assemble into excited‐state aggregates held together by a hydrogen‐bond network between their capping ligands.