Polystyrene Microspheres Decorated with Au4Cu5 Nanoclusters and their Application in Catalytic Reduction of 4‐Nitrophenol

Abstract Ultrasmall nanoclusters are emerging nanocatalysts due to their distinct physico‐chemical properties. However, the instability and agglomeration of these nanoclusters restrict their practical application. Herein, we designed a negatively charged cross‐linked polystyrene (PS) microsphere as support and decorated it with positively charged ultrasmall [Au 4 Cu 5 (Dppm) 2 (C 6 H 11 S) 6 ] + [BPh 4 ] − (Au 4 Cu 5 , in which Dppm stands for bis‐(diphenylphosphino)methane) nanoclusters through strong electrostatic adsorption, as evidenced by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The PS@Au 4 Cu 5 nanocomposites were well‐dispersed in water, exhibiting enhanced catalytic activity for the reduction reaction of 4‐nitrophenol to produce 4‐aminophenol. These findings open promising opportunities for supported nanocluster catalysis.