[Au₁₄(2-SAdm)₉(Dppe)₂]⁺: a gold nanocluster with a crystallization-induced emission enhancement phenomenon

In this work, a gold nanocluster [Au-14(2-SAdm)(9)(Dppe)(2)](+) was synthesized and structurally determined by X-ray crystallography. The crystals of this cluster exhibit a 50-fold enhancement in quantum yield (5.05% for crystals) compared with its solution. Crystallographic analysis reveals that the weak intermolecular interactions (C-H & ctdot;pi, pi & ctdot;pi) can inhibit the molecular vibration and thus generate the crystallization-induced emission enhancement phenomenon.