An alkynyl-protected gold nanocluster [Au24(C≡CPh)14(PPh3)4](SbF6)2 has been prepared by a direct reduction method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that the molecular structure contains a Au22 core that is made of two Au13-centered cuboctahedra that share a square face. Two staple-like PhC≡C-Au-C≡CPh motifs are located around the center of the rod-like Au22 core. This Au24 nanocluster is highly emissive in the near-infrared region with λ(max)=925 nm and the nature of the HOMO-LUMO transition is investigated by time-dependent DFT calculations.

Silver nanoclusters containing Ag 0 atoms protected by amino acids were synthesized and characterized.C hiral superatomic silver nanoclusters [Ag 47 L 12 (CC t Bu) 16 ]BF 4 (L = l-/d -valine or l-/d -isoleucine) have been prepared by reducing AgCC t Bu and amino acids (AAs) with NaBH 4 .S ingle crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that these clusters have T symmetry,a nd the Ag 47 metal kernel can be viewed as at etracapped truncated tetrahedron (Ag 17 )s urrounded with six W-shaped Ag 5 units.T he clusters are homochirala s evidenced by CD measurements.Asfor the strong CD signals, large contributions are found from the occupied Ag s,ps tates (superatomic Dstates) near the Fermi level. Electron counting revealed that these clusters are 18-electron systems,s uggesting they are superatomic clusters.T he superatomic nature with a1 S 2 1P 6 1D 10 configuration was supported by DFT calculations.T his work paves the wayo ft aking AAs as facile chiral induction agents for the synthesis of metal nanoclusters.