Synthesis and Structure of Polyhydrido Copper Nanocluster [Cu 14 H 10 (PPh 3 ) 8 (SPhMe 2 ) 3 ] + : Symmetry-Breaking by Thiolate Ligands to form Racemic Pairs of Chiral Clusters in Solid-State

A polyhydrido copper nanocluster, [Cu 14 H 10 (PPh 3 ) 8 (SR) 3 ] + (HSR = 2,4-dimethylbenzenethiol), adopting a distorted fcc structure, is reported. One cube-vertex copper atom, coordinated by the three thiolate ligands and a PPh 3 , protrudes outwards from the fcc metal framework. The twisting of the three thiolate ligands about the threefold axis lowers the symmetry from O h (Cu 14 ) to C 3 , forming racemic pairs of intrinsic chiral clusters in crystalline solid-state. Graphical Abstract