Binary Superlattices from Colloidal Nanocrystals and Giant Polyoxometalate Clusters

We report a new kind of long-range ordered binary superlattices comprising atomically defined inorganic clusters and colloidally synthesized nanocrystals. In a model system, we combined surfactant-encapsulated, nearly spherical giant polyoxometalate clusters containing 2.9 nm polyoxomolybdate or 2.5 nm polyoxovanadomolybdate cores with monodisperse colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (PbS, CdSe, PbS/CdS; 4–11 nm). The results are rationalized on the basis of dense packing principles of sterically stabilized particles with predominantly hard-spherelike interparticle interactions. By varying the size-ratios and relative concentrations of constituents, we obtained known thermodynamically stable binary packings of hard-spheres such as NaCl, AlB2, and NaZn13 lattices and also CaCu5-type lattice and aperiodic quasicrystals with 12-fold symmetry. These results suggest that other kinds of cluster materials such as fullerenes and magic-sized metallic and semiconductor clusters can also be integrated into supramolecular assemblies with nanocrystals. Furthermore, synergistic effects are expected from the combination of redox and catalytic properties of polyoxometalates with excitonic and plasmonic properties of inorganic nanocrystals.