Hybrid nanoscale inorganic cages

ABSTRACT Cage structures exhibit inherent high symmetry and beauty, and both naturally occurring and synthetic molecular-scale cages have been discovered. Their characteristic high surface

area and voids have led to their use as catalysts and catalyst supports, filtration media and gas storage materials1,2. Nanometre-scale cage structures have also been synthesized, notably

noble-metal cube-shaped cages prepared by galvanic displacement with promising applications in drug delivery and catalysis3,4,5,6. Further functionality for nanostructures in general is

provided by the concept of hybrid nanoparticles combining two disparate materials on the same system to achieve synergistic properties stemming from unusual material combinations7,8,9,10,11.

We report the integration of the two powerful concepts of cages and hybrid nanoparticles. A previously unknown edge growth mechanism has led to a new type of cage-structured hybrid

metal–semiconductor nanoparticle; a ruthenium cage was grown selectively on the edges of a faceted copper(I) sulphide nanocrystal, contrary to the more commonly observed facet and island

growth modes of other hybrids7,12,13,14,15. The cage motif was extended by exploiting the open frame to achieve empty cages and cages containing other semiconductors. Such previously unknown

nano-inorganic cage structures with variable cores and metal frames manifest new chemical, optical and electronic properties and demonstrate possibilities for uses in electrocatalysis.

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support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORK NANOSHEETS INTO SINGLE-CRYSTALLINE ORTHOGONAL ARRAYS Article Open access 18 September 2023 THE

MULTIFACETED ROLES OF M_N_L2_N_ CAGES IN CATALYSIS Article 24 July 2024 MONOMICELLAR ASSEMBLY TO SYNTHESIZE STRUCTURED AND FUNCTIONAL MESOPOROUS CARBONACEOUS NANOMATERIALS Article 14

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Partial financial support by the Israel Science Foundation (grant 972/08), and the ERC grant DCENSY is acknowledged. U.B. thanks the Alfred and Erica Larisch Memorial Chair in Solar Energy.

M.B.S. thanks the Minerva Fellowship program funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Sara Lee Schupf Postdoctoral Fellowship. The authors also thank D.

Mandler for use of electrochemisty instrumentation. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Janet E.

Macdonald & Uri Banin * The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Janet E. Macdonald, Inna Popov & Uri Banin * Ernst

Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Research Centre Juelich, 52425 Juelich, Germany Maya Bar Sadan & Lothar Houben Authors * Janet E. Macdonald View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Maya Bar Sadan View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Lothar Houben

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Inna Popov View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Uri

Banin View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS J.E.M. and U.B. designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. J.E.M. carried out

the experiments, materials characterization and analysis. I.P. assisted with HAADF-STEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements and provided commentary on the manuscript and

materials analysis. M.B.S. carried out the tomography experiments and the analysis of its data and wrote parts of the manuscripts. L.H. wrote the tomographic processing software and assisted

in the reconstruction, provided the aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM images and commented on the manuscript. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Uri Banin. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING

INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (PDF 479 KB) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary Movie 1 (MOV 1567 kb)

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_et al._ Hybrid nanoscale inorganic cages. _Nature Mater_ 9, 810–815 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2848 Download citation * Received: 07 April 2010 * Accepted: 02 August 2010 *

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