Toward quantitative electronic structure in small gold nanoclusters.

Ligand-protected gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) feature a dense but finite electronic structure that can be rationalized using qualitative descriptions such as the well-known superatomic model and predicted using quantum chemical calculations. However, the lack of well-resolved experimental probes of a AuNC electronic structure has made the task of evaluating the accuracy of electronic structure descriptions challenging. We compare electronic absorption spectra computed using time-dependent density functional theory to recently collected high resolution experimental spectra of Au9(PPh3)8 3+ and Au8(PPh3)7 2+ AuNCs with strikingly similar features. After applying a simple scaling correction, the computed spectrum of Au8(PPh3)7 2+ yields a suitable match, allowing us to assign low-energy metal-metal transitions in the experimental spectrum. No similar match is obtained after following the same procedure for two previously reported isomers for Au9(PPh3)8 3+, suggesting either a deficiency in the calculations or the presence of an additional isomer. Instead, we propose assignments for Au9(PPh3)8 3+ based off of similarities Au8(PPh3)7 2+. We further model these clusters using a simple particle-in-a-box analysis for an asymmetrical ellipsoidal superatomic core, which allows us to reproduce the same transitions and extract an effective core size and shape that agrees well with that expected from crystal structures. This suggests that the superatomic model, which is typically employed to explain the qualitative features of nanocluster electronic structures, remains valid even for small AuNCs with highly aspherical cores.

Homologous Structural, Chemical, and Biological Behavior of Sc and Lu Complexes of the Picaga Bifunctional Chelator: Toward Development of Matched Theranostic Pairs for Radiopharmaceutical Applications.

The radioactive isotopes scandium-44/47 and lutetium-177 are gaining relevance for radioimaging and radiotherapy, resulting in a surge of studies on their coordination chemistry and subsequent applications. Although the trivalent ions of these elements are considered close homologues, dissimilar chemical behavior is observed when they are complexed by large ligand architectures due to discrepancies between Lu(III) and Sc(III) ions with respect to size, chemical hardness, and Lewis acidity. Here, we demonstrate that Lu and Sc complexes of 1,4-bis(methoxycarbonyl)-7-[(6-carboxypyridin-2-yl)methyl]-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (H3mpatcn) and its corresponding bioconjugate picaga-DUPA can be employed to promote analogous structural features and, subsequently, biological properties for coordination complexes of these ions. The close homology was evidenced using potentiometric methods, computational modeling, variable temperature mass spectrometry, and pair distribution function analysis of X-ray scattering data. Radiochemical labeling, in vitro stability, and biodistribution studies with Sc-47 and Lu-177 indicate that the 7-coordinate ligand environment of the bifunctional picaga ligand is compatible with biological applications and the future investigation of ß-emitting, picaga-chelated Sc and Lu isotopes for radiotherapy.

Hydride, chloride, and bromide show similar electronic effects in the Au9(PPh3)83+ nanocluster.

Recent experimental and computational results have suggested that a hydride bound to the Au9(PPh3)83+ gold nanocluster donates its electrons to the metal core, forming an 8-electron cluster. We present electronic absorption spectra of precisely mass-selected Au9(PPh3)83+ clusters featuring a surface hydride, chloride, or bromide. Comparison of these spectra shows that H-, Cl-, or Br- perturb the electronic structure of the Au9(PPh3)83+ core in similar ways. This suggests that hydride and halides play similar roles electronically in this cluster, and thus are either both metallic or both ligand-like.

High Precision Electronic Spectroscopy of Ligand-Protected Gold Nanoclusters: Effects of Composition, Environment, and Ligand Chemistry.

Atomically precise gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are a class of nanomaterials valued for their electronic properties and diverse structural features. While the advent of X-ray crystallography of AuNCs has revealed their geometric structures with high precision, detailed electronic structure analysis is challenged by environmental, compositional, and thermal averaging effects present in electronic spectra of typical samples. To circumvent these challenges, we have adapted mass spectrometer-based electronic absorption spectroscopy techniques to acquire high-resolution electronic spectra of atomically precisely defined nanoclusters separated from a synthetic mixture. Here we discuss recent results using this approach to link the surface chemistry of triphenylphosphine-protected AuNCs to their electronic structure and expand on key elements of the experiment and the link between these gas-phase measurements and solution-phase behavior of AuNCs. Chemically derivatized Au8(P(p-X-Ph)3)72+ and Au9(P(p-X-Ph)3)83+ clusters, where X = -H, -CH3, or -OCH3, are used to derive systematic trends in the response of the electronic spectrum to the electron-donating character of the ligand shell. We find a linear relationship between the substituent Hammett parameter σp and the transition energy between both sets of clusters' highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, a transition that is localized in the metal core within the limits of the superatomic model. The similarity of the mass-selective and solution-phase UV/vis spectra of Au9(PPh3)83+ indicates that the interpretation of these experiments is transferable to the condensed phase. He and N2 environments are introduced to a series of isovalent clusters as a subtle probe of discrete environmental effects over electronic structure. Strikingly, select bands in the UV/vis spectrum respond strongly to the identity of the environment, which we interpret as a state-selective indicator of interfacially relevant electronic transitions. Physically predictable trends such as these will aid in building molecular design principles necessary for the development of novel materials based on nanoclusters.

Systematically Tuning the Electronic Structure of Gold Nanoclusters through Ligand Derivatization.

While the ability to crystallize metal nanoclusters has revealed their geometric structure, the lack of a similarly precise measure of their electronic structure has hampered the development of synthetic design rules to precisely engineer their electronic properties. We track the evolution of highly-resolved electronic absorption spectra of gold nanoclusters with precisely mass-selected chemical composition in a controlled environment. Simple derivatization of the ligands yields larger spectral changes than varying the overall atomic composition of the cluster for two clusters with similar symmetry and size. The nominally metal-localized HOMO-LUMO transition of these nanoclusters lowers in energy linearly with increasing electron donation from the exterior of the ligand shell for both cluster sizes. Very weak surface interactions, such as binding of He or N2 , yield significant state-dependent shifts, identifying states with significant interfacial character. These observations demonstrate a pathway for deliberate tuning of interfacial chemistry for chemical and technological applications.

Surface electron dynamics in hematite (α-Fe2O3): correlation between ultrafast surface electron trapping and small polaron formation.

Spectroscopically following charge carrier dynamics in catalytic materials has proven to be a difficult task due to the ultrafast timescales involved in charge trapping and the lack of spectroscopic tools available to selectively probe surface electronic structure. Transient extreme ultraviolet reflection-absorption (XUV-RA) spectroscopy is able to follow surface electron dynamics due to its element, oxidation-state, and surface specificity, as well as the ultrafast time-resolution which can be achieved with XUV pulses produced by high harmonic generation. Here, we use ultrafast XUV-RA spectroscopy to show that charge localization and small polaron formation in Fe2O3 occur within ∼660 fs. The photoexcitation of hematite at 400 nm initially leads to an electronically-delocalized ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) state, which subsequently evolves into a surface localized LMCT state. Comparison of the charge carrier dynamics for single and polycrystalline samples shows that the observed dynamics are negligibly influenced by grain boundaries and surface defects. Rather, correlation between experimental results and spectral simulations reveals that the lattice expansion during small polaron formation occurs on the identical time scale as surface trapping and represents the probable driving force for sub-ps electron localization to the hematite surface.

Chain Length and Solvent Control over the Electronic Properties of Alkanethiolate-Protected Gold Nanoparticles at the Molecule-to-Metal Transition.

Alkanethiolate protected gold nanoparticles are one of the most widely used systems in modern science and technology, where the emergent electronic properties of the gold core are valued for use in applications such as plasmonic solar cells, photocatalysis, and photothermal heating. Though choice in alkane chain length is not often discussed as a way in which to control the electronic properties of these nanoparticles, we show that the chain length of the alkyl tail exerts clear control over the electronic properties of the gold core, as determined by conduction electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The control exerted by chain length is reported on by changes to the g-factor of the metallic electrons, which we can relate to the average surface potential on the gold core. We propose that the surface potential is modulated by direct charge donation from the ligand to the metal, resulting from the formation of a chemical bond. Furthermore, the degree of charge transfer is controlled by differences between the dielectric constant of the medium and the ligand shell. Together, these observations are used to construct a simple electrostatic model that provides a framework for understanding how surface chemistry can be used to modulate the electronic properties of gold nanoparticles.

Probing ligand-induced modulation of metallic states in small gold nanoparticles using conduction electron spin resonance.

Thiolate-protected gold nanoparticles have a rich history as model systems for understanding the physical and chemical properties of metallic nanoscale materials that, in turn, form the basis for applications in areas such as molecular electronics, photocatalytic systems, and plasmonic solar cells. It is well known that the electronic properties of gold nanoparticles can be tuned by modifying the geometry, size and dielectric surrounding of the particle. However, much less is known of how modifications to the surface chemistry modulates the electronic properties of gold nanoparticles. In part, this stems from the fact that there are few good tools for measuring the electronic properties with the sensitivity required for following the response to subtle changes in surface chemistry. In this work, we demonstrate conduction spin electron resonance (CESR) to be a sensitive and selective probe to determine how changes in surface chemistry of gold nanoparticles affect the metallic states near the Fermi energy. Using a series of para-substituted aromatic thiolate ligands, we find that the g-factor, as measured using CESR, correlates well with experimental and computational parameters often used to understand ligand effects in classical inorganic complexes. This suggests classical inorganic reasoning can function as a framework for understanding how to control the electronic properties of gold nanoparticles using their surface chemistry.

Ligand Control over the Electronic Properties within the Metallic Core of Gold Nanoparticles.

The behavior of electrons within the metallic core of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be controlled by the nature of the surface chemistry of the AuNPs. Specifically, the conduction electron spin resonance (CESR) spectra of AuNPs of diameter 1.8-1.9 nm are sensitive to ligand exchange of hexanethiol for 4-bromothiophenol on the surface of the nanoparticle. Chemisorption of the aromatic ligand leads to a shift in the metallic electron's g-factor toward the value expected for pure gold systems, suggesting an increase in metallic character for the electrons within the gold core. Analysis by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy reveals a concomitant bathochromic shift of the surface plasmon resonance band of the AuNP, indicating that other electronic properties of AuNPs are also affected by the ligand exchange. In total, our results demonstrate that the chemical nature of the ligand controls the valence band structure of AuNPs.