Stabilization of a New Nanocomposite Family by Reduction of Gold Nanoclusters with Electron-reservoir Complexes

Four stable 19-electron Fe and Co sandwich electron-reservoir and three hydride reservoir complexes reduce the prototypal nanocluster Au25(SR)18 (R = CH2CH2Ph) leading to a largely increased kinetic stabilization of the anionic nanocluster form compared to previously known nanocluster anion salts; these salts represent new and robust nanocomposite anionic gold clusters with 18-electron sandwich complexes as counter cations.