https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c01096

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C Virtual Special Issue on Metal Clusters, Nanoparticles, and the Physical Chemistry of Catalysis

Atomically precise noble metal nanoclusters (especially Au and Ag) have been pursued due to their fascinating molecule-like properties. In spite of the significant progress on Au nanoclusters (NCs), the structure and property evolution of Ag NCs is still in high demand. Doping is a useful strategy for improving the physicochemical performances of Ag NCs. Herein we summarize the recent advances in tailoring silver NC structures and properties via doping. First, we reviewed the recent studies on the synthesis of hetero metal atom doped silver bimetallic nanoclusters, which are classified by the dopants, including Au, Pt, Pd, Cu, Ni and Cd. Second, the doping effects on their properties were reviewed, including the locations of hetero metal atoms, the influence on their stability, and the charge state evolution. Moreover, we highlighted the doping-dependent improvement of the photo-luminescence (PL) performance and catalytic activity of Ag NCs.

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Tailoring silver nanoclusters via doping: advances and opportunities

Noble metal nanoclusters (NCs) have emerged as a new class of nanomaterials which have great potential in bioapplications. Due to their ultrasmall size and versatile surface chemistry, they show excellent luminescence, high photostability, good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and a high renal clearance rate. In recent years, much work has been reported toward the bioapplications of metal NCs, especially the Au, Ag, and Cu NCs. In this Review, we first discuss the crucial factors of metal NCs for their use as biomaterials, including the size, surface chemistry, photoluminescent properties, cytotoxicity, and metabolic activity. Then, we highlight some recent advances of metal NCs in bioapplications, such as biosensing, bioimaging, biomedical diagnosis, and therapy. It is noteworthy that the metal NCs perform quite well in cancer treatment. Finally, we have briefly discussed the current challenges and our perspectives on metal NCs in bioapplication research and further transformation into clinical application. 

Metal Nanoclusters as Biomaterials for Bioapplications: Atomic Precision as the Next Goal

To acquire the atomic design of new functional Ag(i) nanoclusters (NCs), a new synthetic approach of site-specific alloying has been unveiled, by which the neutral CO2 templated Ag20 core is confined through Cu containing two peripheral motif units. The impact of surface charge, size and shape of the template on the self-assembly of Ag(i) has been precisely controlled here for the first time and as a result, a similar pentagonal gyrobicupola-like Ag20 core is formed while varying the templates (S2−, CO32− and CO2). However, the surface charge generated on the Ag(i) core due to the presence of a neutral template opens up the possibility of this novel alloying process. The introduction of strongly interacted peripheral motif units (DMA-CuS−) on the Ag20 core enforces more rigidity in the skeleton that reduces the probability of non-radiative transition in the excited state by lowering the intramolecular vibration. In addition to this, the incorporation of electron-donating peripheral motif units modulates the frontier molecular arrangement that helps in attaining the synergy which would ultimately turn on the room-temperature emission properties. The electron-donating effect of the peripheral motif units further leads to a sharp reduction of the bandgap and the symmetric position of the heterometal in the cluster minimizes the intercluster distances which further influences the intercluster charge carrier transport. So, the precise structure–property correlation with this novel synthetic approach will pave the way for a well-functioning NC design.

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Template-assisted alloying of atom-precise silver nanoclusters: a new approach to generate cluster functionality

Generation of Silver Metal Nanocluster Random Lasing

Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) in the quantum size range have emerged as a unique class of materials. Such NCs exhibit intriguing, molecular-like properties such as excitonic absorptio...

Jie Yang

Papers

Advances in Enhancing Luminescence of Atomically Precise Ag Nanoclusters