On July 26, 2024, honored guests including Professor Quanming Wang from Tsinghua University, Professor Tatsuya Tsukuda from the University of Tokyo, and Professor Zhixun Luo from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences visited Tianjin University at the invitation of the School of Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronics Science, and the editorial office of SmartMat. They delivered a series of lectures fucusing on controlled construction, ligand engineering, and optical and catalytic applications of metal nanoclusters. The lectures were hosted by Professor Qiaofeng Yao from Tianjin University, with the presence of distinguished attendees including Professor Zhicheng Zhang from Tianjin University and ProfessorLei  Zhang from Nankai University.

Metal nanoclusters are a class of ultra-small nanoparticles with a diameter of less than 3 nm, featuring a core-shell structure of “metal core@metal-ligand complex shell”. Since forming metal nanoclusters involves multiple components, the controlled synthesis of functional metal nanoclusters at the atomic precision represents one of the biggest challenges. Professor Quanming Wang discussed the historical development and recent advancements in metal nanocluster research, elucidating the synthesis principles and structure-performance relationships of metal nanoclusters. Prof Wang also discussed the influence of ligand engineering on the performance of metal nanoclusters. Professor Tatsuya Tsukuda provided insights into the synthesis and characterization of metal nanoclusters, highlighting how factors such as size, doping, and surface modification affect their catalytic properties. Professor Zhixun Luo then elaborated on the research progress of metal clusters as artificial atoms for construction of three-dimensional periodic table, showcasing significant findings related to cluster structural stability and reactivity in his lab.

Many thanks to Professor Wang, Professor Tsukuda, and Professor Luo for their kind visits and instructive talks!