C‐ and N‐based Ligand‐protected Metal Nanocluster Catalysis

Carbon and nitrogen are relatively “harder base,” compared to the sulfur and phosphorus in organometallics. Thus, C- and N-based ligands were considered to be difficult to stabilize atomically precise metal nanoclusters for a long time. Recently, C-based ligands such as alkynes and carbenes and N-based ligands such as formamidinate and PNP pincer ligands have been discovered to be able to stabilize atomically precise metal nanoclusters. Moreover, these metal nanoclusters display significantly different coordination mode from the corresponding metal complexes. The unique surface structures in C- and N-based ligand-protected metal nanoclusters trigger their efficient catalytic properties, which open up new opportunities for metal nanocluster chemistry as well as catalysis science.