Distinct structure assembly driven by metal-ligand binding in Au 23 nanoclusters and its relation to photocatalysis

Here, we introduce two Au nanoclusters to unveil the significance of metal-ligand binding-induced assembly. The Au cluster protected by the thiolate ligand is packed in the shell-by-shell arrangement, while the Au cluster capped by dual ligands of thiolate and PPh is constructed from the assembly of Au tetrahedra. Furthermore Au from Au tetrahedron-based assembly is capable of converting absorbed visible light into more excitons, compared to Au from shell-by-shell assembly, thus exhibiting more efficient photocatalysis.