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PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ATOMIC QUANTUM CLUSTERS
EP3765220B1
The present invention provides aneasy and scalable process for producing atomic quantum clusters (AQCs) with a high yieldand without the need of capping ligands, in the presence of a promoter.Moreover, the invention provides a mixture comprising at leastan atomic quantum cluster, optionally a metal salt, optionally a hole scavenger having a standard electrode potential lower than the HOMO orbital of the AQCs, optionally an oxidant having a standard electrode potential over thestandard electrode potential of said metal ion, and a polar solvent, wherein the metal salt and the hole scavenger are both soluble in the polar solvent and do not react with each other, and wherein the number of equivalents of hole scavenger in the mixture are higher than the number of equivalents of metal salt in the mixture.
The object of the present invention is to provide a scalable process for producing AQCs in the absence of ligands (naked AQCs) with an improved yield. The inventors of the present invention have developed a new process taking into account the different stability of AQCs and nanoparticles under oxidizing conditions. Thus, in a first aspect the invention is directed to a process for producing atomic quantum clusters