Abstract
Transformation chemistry of atomically precise metal nanoclusters has emerged as a novel strategy for fundamental research on the structure-property correlations of nanomaterials. However, a thorough understanding of the transformation mechanism is indeed necessary to understand the structural growth patterns and corresponding property evolutions in nanoclusters. Herein, we present the ligand-exchange-induced transformation of the [Au(23)(SR)(16)](-) (8e(-)) nanocluster to the [Au(25)(SR')(18)](-) (8e(-)) nanocluster, through the Au(23)(SR)(17) (6e(-)) intermediate species. Identification of this key intermediate through a partially reversible transformation helped in a detailed investigation into the transformation mechanism with atomic precision. Moreover, photophysical studies carried out on this Au(23)(SR)(17) species, which only differs by a single ligand from that of the [Au(23)(SR)(16)](-) nanocluster reveal the property evolutions at the slightest change in the nanocluster structure.