Polymorphism of Phosphine‐Protected Gold Nanoclusters: Synthesis and Characterization of a New 22‐Gold‐Atom Cluster

A new Au₂₂ nanocluster, protected by bis(2‐diphenyl‐phosphino)ethyl ether (dppee or C₂₈H₂₈OP₂) ligand, has been synthsized and purified with high yield. Electrospray mass spectrometry shows that the new cluster has a formula of Au₂₂(dppee)₇, containing 22 gold atoms and seven dppee ligands. The cluster is found to be stable as a solid, but metastable in solution. The new cluster has been characterized by UV‐Vis‐NIR absorption spectroscopy, collision‐induced dissociation, and ³¹P‐NMR. The properties of the new cluster have been compared with the previous Au₂₂(dppo)₆ nanocluster (dppo = 1,8‐bis(diphenyl‐phosphino)octane or C₃₂H₃₆P₂), which contains two fused Au₁₁ units. All the experimental data indicate that the new Au₂₂(dppee)₇ cluster is different from the previously known Au₂₂(dppo)₆ cluster and represents a new Au₂₂ core, which contains most likely one Au₁₁ motif with several Au₂(dppee) or Au(dppee) units. The Au₂₂(dppee)₇ cluster provides a new example of the ligand effects on the nuclearity and structural polymorphism of phosphine‐protected atom‐precise gold nanoclusters.