Combined synthesis of interconvertible Au11Cd and Au26Cd5 for photocatalytic oxidations involving singlet oxygen

A novel Au₁₁Cd nanocluster was synthesized by developing a combined method and controlling the kinetics, and another Au₂₆Cd₅ nanocluster was also obtained after the conditions were changed in the same reaction, which could transfer to Au₁₁Cd in a two-way style. Both alloy nanoclusters can photocatalyze the production of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and exhibit enhanced efficiencies in photocatalyzing two kinds of organic oxidations involving singlet oxygen compared with their non-alloyed mother nanoclusters, indicating that the Cd-doping might be an efficient way to enhance the photocatalysis performance of gold nanoclusters and metal nanoclusters are promising photocatalysts for organic oxidation involving singlet oxygen.