One-pot synthesis and characterization of subnanometre-size benzotriazolate protected copper clusters.

A simple one-pot method for the preparation of subnanometre-size benzotriazolate (BTA) protected copper clusters, Cu(n)BTA(m), is reported. The clusters were analyzed by optical and infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy together with computational methods. We suggest a structural motif where the copper core of the Cu(n)BTA(m) clusters is protected by BTA-Cu(i)-BTA units.