Designed synthesis of size-tunable Ag2S nanoclusters via distinguishable C-S bond cleavage reaction of alkyl- and aryl-thiolates.

We report herein the synthesis of two different silver clusters of aryl- and alkyl-thiolates. These two cluster complexes exhibited biased C-S bond cleavage reaction rates upon removing protective hexamethylazacalix[6]pyridine (Py[6]) ligands, which was applied in the fabrication of silver sulfide nanoclusters with variable and controllable sizes.