Planar Iron Hydride Nanoclusters: Combined Spectroscopic and Theoretical Insights into Structures and Building Principles

Abstract

The controlled assembly of well-defined planar nanoclusters from molecular precursors is synthetically challenging and often plagued by the predominant formation of 3D-structures and nanoparticles. Herein, we report planar iron hydride nanoclusters from reactions of main group element hydrides with iron(II) bis(hexamethyldisilazide). The structures and properties of isolated Fe4, Fe6, and Fe7 nanoplatelets and calculated intermediates enable an unprecedented insight into the underlying building principle and growth mechanism of iron clusters, metal monolayers, and nanoparticles.