Unveiling the Remarkable Stability and Catalytic Activity of a 6-Electron Superatomic Ag30 Nanocluster for CO2 Electroreduction

Inorg Chem. 2023 Sep 4;62(35):14377-14384. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02083. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

Abstract

Nanocluster catalysts face a significant challenge in striking the right balance between stability and catalytic activity. Here, we present a thiacalix[4]arene-protected 6-electron [Ag30(TC4A)4(iPrS)8] nanocluster that demonstrates both high stability and catalytic activity. The Ag30 nanocluster features a metallic core, Ag104+, consisting of two Ag3 triangles and one Ag4 square, shielded by four {Ag5@(TC4A)4} staple motifs. Based on DFT calculations, the Ag104+ metallic kernel can be viewed as a trimer comprising 2-electron superatomic units, exhibiting a valence electron structure similar to that of the Be3 molecule. Notably, this is the first crystallographic evidence of the trimerization of 2-electron superatomic units. Ag30 can reduce CO2 into CO with a Faraday efficiency of 93.4% at -0.9 V versus RHE along with excellent long-term stability. Its catalytic activity is far superior to that of the chain-like AgI polymer 1{[H2Ag5(TC4A)(iPrS)3]} (1Agn), with the composition similar to Ag30. DFT calculations elucidated the catalytic mechanism to clarify the contrasting catalytic performances of the Ag30 and 1Agn polymers and disclosed that the intrinsically higher activity of Ag30 may be due to the greater stability of the dual adsorption mode of the *COOH intermediate on the metallic core.